258 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Survey. Professor Simon Nevvcomb, United States Nav)-, and William Hark- 

 ness, United States Navy, were detailed as the tvv^o Professors of the Observatory, 

 and, at a meeting of the commission,'^ the Naval Observatory was authorized to 

 take charge of the details of the Transit of Venus expedition. Experiments are 

 being made and preparations are now in hand for completing contracts for the 

 manufacture of the necessary instruments and planning the proper temporary 

 observatories for the several stations to be occupied. This necessarily takes much 

 of the time of the Professors, but as legitimate work of such an institution it is 

 cheerfully and zealously performed." ^^ 



In the meantime, in the Sundry Civil Act for 1873, approved 

 June 10, 1872, Congress had made a second appropriation 

 for the purchase and preparation of instruments, amounting to 

 $50,000, to be expended, like the first, under the direction of 

 the Commission." 



The time of the transit was now approaching and the Chief 

 of the Bureau of Navigation, Daniel Ammen, reported at the 

 close of that fiscal year (1873), that the preparations were 

 practically complete.'" Admiral Sands also remarked, " The 

 work progresses favorably, and the expeditions are expected to 

 leave their stations early next June." " 



Congress made a third appropriation for the fiscal year 1874, 

 amounting this time to $100,000, to enable the Secretary of the 

 Navy to organize parties to observe the transit, and in conjunc- 

 tion therewith authorized him to detail two vessels to convey 

 them to their several stations." 



Early in 1874 Admiral Charles H. Davis became Superin- 

 tendent of the Naval Observatory and in that capacity took part 



''The first meeting of the Commission was held July 22, 1872. 



"Rep. Seer. Navy for 1872, p. 94. Prof. J. H. C. CofBn, Superintendent of the Nautical 

 Almanac Office, reported the same year. 



"As one of the preparations for the transit of Venus, in December, 1874, maps and 

 tables to facilitate predictions of the several phases of that phenomenon have been con- 

 structed by Mr. G. W. Hill, of this Office. Their publication has been assumed by this com- 

 mission on this transit appointed by Congress, as one of their series of valuable papers 

 relating to it." Op. cit., p. 96. 



"Stat, at Large, vol. 17, 1873, p. 367, 42d Congress, 2d Session, chap. 415. 



'"Rep. Secr. Navy for 1873, p. 79. 



" Op. cit., p. 94. 



"Stat, at Large, vol. 17, 1873, p. 514, 42d Congress, 3d Session, chap. 227, 1873. Sundry 

 Civil Act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, approved March 3, 1873. 



