Report, on the Solar Eclipse Expedition to Viziadrug. 41 



to which Mr. Chree has recently called attention, follow suit with the 

 chemical and eclipse observations, and it is important to note, as 

 Dr. Chree has informed me in a later communication, that there were 

 less violent disturbances on January 15 18 and February 11 16, so 

 that there have been three disturbances separated roughly by an 

 interval of twenty-eight days. 



CONCLUSION. 



The extraordinary interest and the skill displayed by the officers 

 and men of H.M.S. " Volage " under Captain King Hall in 1896, and of 

 H.M.S. " Melpomene " under Captain Chisholm Batten in the present 

 year, prove beyond all question that in eclipses in which a man-of- 

 war can be employed the most effective and the most economical 

 means of securing observations is to depend upon the naval personnel, 

 one or two skilled observers being sent out to help in the final 

 adjustments of instruments according to the number it is intended to 

 employ. 



At Viziadrng, Mr. Fowler and Dr. Lockyer were enabled to report 

 all the fixed instruments and huts, eight in number, erected and all but 

 the final adjustments made after six days' work, a long break being 

 necessary in the middle of the day in consequence of the heat. Such 

 an achievement as this is beyond all eclipse precedent and was only 

 rendered possible by the help of a large staff of highly trained men. 

 Of the 150 engaged in the operations only three originally formed the 

 expedition. 



It is, therefore, quite inappropriate that I, on the part of the 

 expedition, should here tender thanks to Captain Batten, the officers 

 and men of H.M.S. " Melpomene " for their assistance, for as matters 

 turned out we assisted them ; but we are anxious to place on record 

 the kindness we received from them both afloat and ashore, and since 

 the great success of the recent observations is due almost entirely to 

 Captain Chisholm Batten and the ship's company of the "Melpomene," 

 I trust that the President and Council of the Royal Society may be 

 pleased to communicate this fact to the Lords Commissioners of the 

 Admiralty. 



Among those to whom thanks are specially due are the following 

 representing the Indian Government : 



E. Giles, Esq., Director of Public Instruction, in charge of 



arrangements made by Bombay Government. 

 K. R. Bomanji, Esq., Collector of Ratnagiri. 

 J. L. Jenkins, Esq., Collector of Salt. 



E. H. Aitken, Esq., Assistant Collector of Salt. 



F. R. Bader, Esq., Assistant Engineer, P.W.D. 



