212 Mr. H. F. Newall. 



observers to join forces with them ; they had chosen an excellent site 

 on a ridge to the south of Sawah Loento, but it was at a considerable 

 distance from the living quarters, and it seemed to me that in that 

 tropical climate we could not afford to spend much of our forces in 

 walking to and fro, for the somewhat extensive programme of obser- 

 vations would require much preparation. Under the guidance of 

 Mr. van Lessen, the Chief Engineer at the mines, an excellent site was 

 found on high ground above the mines to the N.W. of Sawah Loento ; 

 and Mr. van Lessen was good enough to put at my disposal a house 

 close to it, which had recently been built for the use of officers of 

 the mines, but which had not yet been occupied. The house was close 

 to four others in which mine-viewers were living, and, moreover, other 

 houses were being built in their neighbourhood. Hence the con- 

 veniences were in every respect very great, for the conditions implied 

 that food supplies would be easily got, water was laid on, and build- 

 ing materials were ready to hand. The house was built on a terrace 

 which had been levelled on the hillside, and I decided to set up the 

 huts and instruments within a few feet of the verandah. 



I am very much indebted to Mr. van Lessen for his kind assistance 

 in numberless ways. Not only did he make me free to use the 

 resources of the mines and the coolies employed there, for the purpose 

 of setting up the huts and building piers for the instruments, but he 

 and Mrs. van Lessen helped us in setting up house in rather unusual 

 circumstances, by lending us furniture and in enlisting a similar kind- 

 ness from the resident ; ' Comptrolleur," Mr. Sieburgh. It is a pleasure 

 to recall the readiness and interest with which the officers of the mines, 

 under Mr. van Lessen's direction, helped us in our needs. 



2. Position of Station. 



The station for the observations was at Ayer Karoe, at the N.W. 

 end of the terrace, on which are built five houses for the overseers of 

 the Oembilien mines. The site is a few hundred yards from the 

 village Doerian, along the road leading from Sawah Loento to Talawi. 

 The position, read off" the Survey Map (scale 1 : 20,000), is longitude 

 23' 30" E. of Padang, and latitude 39' 55" S. Major Muller 

 gave the Padang meridian as 100 21' 55" E. of Greenwich. 



The position of the station may accordingly be taken as 



Longitude 100 45' 25" E. of Greenwich. 



Latitude 39' 55" S. 



Height above mean sea-level at Padang, 1260 feet. 



The spot is about 37 miles from the central line and on the north side 

 of it. The duration of totality predicted from the elements adopted 

 by the 'Nautical Almanac' was 5 m 42 8 , instead of 6 m 29 s on the 

 central line. 



