22 Prof. R. Copeland. 



necessary leave of absence from the University and the Royal Obser- 

 vatory. 



Having shared in the general disappointment of the Russian 

 eclipse of 1887, and the no less unfortunate visit fco Vadso in 1896, I 

 resolved 011 this occasion to occupy a separate station at some dis- 

 tance from any large group of observers. My only companion was 

 our observatory engineer (James McPherson), who on the two pre- 

 vious occasions had shown his skill and energy in setting up and 

 handling the instruments. 



A grant of 180 was made to me by the Committee. This would 

 have been amply sufficient had I dispensed with the services of Engi- 

 neer McPherson, but without his aid I could not have carried out my 

 plan of occupying an independent station and using several instru- 

 ments. 



Our equipment consisted of 



(1) A horizontal telescope of 38 feet focus and 4 inches aperture 

 to be used with a fixed mirror, the image being received on 18-inch 

 plates moved by clockwork. This instrument was provided with a 

 direct vision prism mounted on a slide in front of the object-glass, 

 which, when drawn into position by an attendant, transformed the 

 telescope into a prismatic camera. 



(2) A small prismatic camera designed for the investigation of 

 the ultra-violet rays of the solar appendages. To this end the 

 object-glass was of quartz and Iceland spar, the prism being of the 

 latter material. 



(3) A slit spectroscope by Grubb, with one compound prism. (2) 

 and (3) were carried by a 4-inch equatorial mounting, and served to 

 balance each other. 



(4) A 4-inch camera with a doublet lens, by Dallmeyer, of 33-inch 

 focus, mounted on a 3-inch equatorial stand. Both the equatorial 

 mountings were fitted with driving clocks. 



In place of a hut we were provided with a supply of laths, boards, 

 and brown paper, plain as well as waterproof and blackened, for 

 building the camera of the 40-foot, which had also to serve as a dark 

 room. The hut built with these materials served the intended pur- 

 pose satisfactorily. It was ventilated by a tin chimney like that of 

 a magic lantern. 



The instruments were despatched on the 20th November, via 

 Leith and London, to Bombay. Engineer McPherson left Edinburgh 

 on the 2nd December to embark in London on board the P. and 0. 

 s.s. " Britannia," while I, leaving on the 8fch, was able to catch the 

 same steamer at Brindisi on the 12th December. Bombay was 

 reached on the 26th December, and ISagpur, in the Central Pro- 

 vinces, two days later. Here we were most hospitably received by 

 Colonel Henry J. Lugard (Madras Staff Corps), and with his help 



