Report on the Solar Eclipse Expedition to Sahdol. 3 



Longitude 81 21' 33" E. = 5 h 25 m 26 8 '2 E. 



Latitude 23 16' 45*3". 



Height above mean sea level 1502*4 feet. 



This position was determined after the eclipse by Major Burrard, 

 R.E., by accurate triangulation, connecting the site with the prin- 

 cipal triangulation of the Survey of India. 



Professor Turner's ccelostat was 20 feet due east of this, and 

 the transit instrument (used by Major Burrard in his time deter- 

 minations) 240 feet due north of it. 



This spot is 4 miles towards the south-east from the central line 

 as shown in the * Nautical Almanac ' and ' American Ephemeris,' 

 3^ miles from the line as shown in the ' Connaissance des Temps,' 

 and 2 miles from the line as shown in the ' Berliner Jahrbuch.' It 

 maybe remarked that the data for predicting the four contacts given 

 in the * Nautical Almanac Circular No. 16 ' we,re found insufficient, 

 the nearest points for which approximate formulae were given being 

 in longitude 79 (Nagpur) at a considerable distance from the 

 central line, and in longitude 83 (south of Benares), too far away 

 to give accurate predictions. [See Professor Turner's separate 

 Report.] 



6. The Camp. The general arrangements of the camp (see next 

 page), which consisted of more than fifty tents and huts, were, as 

 already mentioned, admirably carried out by Major Burrard, R.E., it 

 being necessary to clear a considerable space (about 700 by 300 yards) 

 in the jungle by burning and felling trees, in order to set up the nume- 

 rous tents of the living camp at some distance from the observing 

 huts. On part of this clearing the Government Astronomer at Madras 

 (Mr. Michie Smith) and his assistants erected their camp and instru- 

 ments, and Major Burrard rendered considerable assistance to this 

 party. There were also several tents for occupation by distinguished 

 officers of the Survey, and we had the pleasure of seeing at the camp 

 on the day of the eclipse the Survey or- General (General Strahan, 

 R.E.), General Woodthorpe, R.E., Colonel Sir T. Holditch, R.E., and 

 other officers, and for a few days preceding the eclipse Colonel 

 Gore, R.E., who left us for the Pulgaon Camp on January 19. 



7. Meteorological Conditions. From valuable information collected 

 by Mr. Eliot, Meteorological Reporter to the Government of India, 

 it appeared that the chances of fine weather were practically the 

 same all along the line of totality, there being very little risk of cloud, 

 though some chance of dust interfering with the definition. The 

 thickly wooded country round Sahdol seemed well adapted for pro- 

 tection from the danger of dust, and during the days near the 

 eclipse the ground near the instruments was covered with straw and 

 watered in the morning to prevent excessive heating of the air in the 



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