238 Mr. F. W. Dyson. 



the central line, 6 miles distant from the camp of the Dutch observers 

 at Karang Sago, and 30 miles from Padang. 



Erection of the Huts and Instruments. The same light wooden frames 

 covered with Willesden waterproof canvas which were used at Ovar in 

 the eclipse of 1900, May 28, were taken out to Sumatra, with an 

 additional one to serve as a developing room.* As a protection against 

 sun and rain, these were supplemented by sheds, built in Malay style, 

 of bamboos and thatched with atap, a species of palm leaf, which is 

 obtained tied on laths about 4 feet long. 



One open shed, 14 feet long and 12 feet broad, and 12 feet high at 

 the gable, covered one of the two canvas huts and half of the second 

 one, in which the Thompson coronagraph and the 16-inch coelostat 

 were placed. As at Ovar, the hut over the coelostat was moved back 

 a few feet during observations. Thatch was tacked on the roof of this 

 hut. Similar sheds were fixed over the spectroscope hut and over the 

 developing room. Thatch was also tacked all over the developing 

 room hut. This, in addition to black waterproof paper inside, served 

 to make the room light-tight. Movable sheds, each resting on four 

 stout bamboos, were placed over the heliostat and condensing lenses of 

 the spectroscopes and over the Dallmeyer photoheliograph. A house 

 of bamboo and atap was also built, open on the east side and partly on 

 the north, in which hammocks were swung, and where the observers 

 lived at times when the " Pigmy " was obliged to leave for a short 

 time. A tent was also erected for the two marines who were left on 

 shore with the observers by Lieut, and Com. Oldham on such occasions. 

 The general arrangement of the station is shown in the accompanying 

 diagram. These huts, which were very satisfactory, were built under 

 the superintendence of two Malay employes of Mr. Delprat, the 

 Director of Railways. 



The coelostat was mounted on a concrete pier sunk about 18 inches 

 into the ground, and rising 4 inches above it. The clock was screwed 

 on to a box which was partly let into the ground, the weight being 

 carried over a pulley on an iron bracket fixed on a palm-tree at a 

 height of about 12 feet. The Thompson tube was mounted on boxes 

 The table of the spectroscope was placed on four brick piers 4 feet 

 high. The heliostat and condensing lenses were placed on a heavy box 

 which rested on two rows of bricks, which raised it about 4 inches 

 above the ground, the bricks being fixed on a bed of concrete. A 

 foundation of brick and concrete was also provided for the Dallmeyer 

 photoheliograph. In the building of the foundations, erection of piers, 

 and putting together of the canvas huts we received every assistance 

 from the officers and men of the " Pigmy," and are specially indebted 

 to Lieut. Briggs and the engineer, Mr. Townsend. The erectio)i 

 of the huts and instruments occupied us till the beginning of May. 

 * ' Roy. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 67, p. 393. 



