200 



NATURE 



Sjfune 20, 1878 



We have 



( - [1 77616] ) for N. limit. 

 n . COS. (N + /) = < - [176883] > for central eclipse. 

 ( - [1 76137] ) for S. limit. 



In these formulEe, as has been previously explained 

 when presenting similar ones, all quantities within square 

 brackets are logarithms ; / is the geocenti'ic latitude, or 

 the geographical latitude diminished by the angle of 

 the vertical; L the longitude from Greenwich, counted 

 positive towards the east ; and / results in mean time at 

 Greenwich. 



First, let it be required to find the latitude of the 

 central line and the north and south limits in the longi- 

 tude of the Observatory at Moscow, 2h. 30m. 17s., or 

 37° 34''3 east of Greenwich. 



For North Limit. 



Constant -i 7761 6 



n ... + 1 '94089 



Cos. (N + /) 



N + / .. 

 N 



Angle of vert. 



9-83527 



Constant i '87565 

 Sin. w... 9 '5 1 962 



133 ii-o 

 75 52-9 



57 18-1 

 io'5 



Cos. (N + /). 



N + / 

 N ... 



+ I -94089 

 -9 '82794 



132 17-4 

 75 52-9 



56 24-5 

 10-6 



Lat. of N. limit ... 57 28 '6 

 For South Limit. 



56I35-I 



Constant 



« 



Cos. (N + /) 



N + / 



N ... 



Angle of vert. 

 Lat of S. limit 



-1-76137 

 + 1 -94089 



-9-82048 



131 245 



75 52-9 



55 31-6 

 IO-8 



55 424 



Add angle of vert... 

 Lat. of central line. 



In this manner by assuming other longitudes near that 

 of Moscow we trace out the belt of totality. 



Next, to find the times of beginning and ending of the 

 total phase at any point in the vicinity. Calculating for 

 the observatory of Moscow, the geographical latitude of 

 which is + 55° 45'-3, we proceed thus : — 



Geographical latitude... +55 45-3 Constant... -23 34-5 

 Angle of the vertical ... 10-7 L +37 34-3 



I -39527 



Constant -3-11123 Constant -3-81636 

 Sin./... +9-91639 Cos./... +9-75228 

 Cos. B... +9-98691 



No. 



24^-8 No. 



- 3-02762 



- 1065S-6 



- 3593"8 No. 



-3-55555 

 - 3593^-& 



~ 4659^-4 



h. m. s. 

 - I 17 39-4 

 Constant 17 32 29 6 



16 14 50-2 

 Long. E. 2 30 17-0 



Middle.. 1845 7-2 Moscow M.T. 

 T24'8 



^hs 44 42-4 

 '''S \ 'S 45 32-0 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



The Japan Gazette publishes an account of a vis't 

 recently paid by a Japanese steamer to the Bonin Islands, 

 about which but little is known. Some eighteen 

 months ago the Japanese took possession of the islands 

 (which are in N. laL 27°, about 520 miles from Yoko- 

 hama), and established their head-quarters at Port Lloyd, 

 Peel Island, which is the only harbour in the Bonins. 

 The islands are described as high, rocky, and even 

 mountainous; and the shores are, for the most part, 

 precipitous, and lined with coral reefs. The vegetation 

 is chiefly tropical, palms of various kinds being abundant. 

 Wild goats and pigs abound on all the islands, and deer 

 on one of them. Lemons, sweet potatoes, bananas, 

 Indian corn, &c., thrive there ; but the attempt to intro- 

 duce cocoa-nut trees has not yet proved successful. On 

 the return voyage the steamer visited the outlying 

 Japanese island of Hachijo, which has an area of forty 

 miles, and is said to contain 10,000 inhabitants. It is 

 mountainous, and its sides to a great extent precipitous. 

 At the northern end of the island there is a volcanic 

 peak, rising to a height of 2,800 feet above the sea. The 

 roads on the island are mere narrow and stony paths, and 

 the people are poor. Three-fifths of the population are 

 said to be women. Almost every available spot on the 

 hill-sides in Hachijo is terraced and cultivated, but suffi- 

 cient rice cannot be grown, so that sweet potatoes form 

 one of the principal articles of food. 



At the meeting of the subscribers to the African Explo- 

 ration Fund held the other day, a resolution was passed 

 to adopt the route recommended by the Committee, from 

 Dar-es-Salaam, towards the northern end of Lake 

 Nyassa, and thence, if possible, to the south end of Lake 

 Tanganyika. The return journey might be made as far 

 as possible along the valley of Lufigi. As we have already 

 intimated, Mr. Keith Johnston, with whom will be asso- 

 ciated another European, will lead the expedition, which 

 will probably leave England in October next. 



The distribution of prizes of the Geographical Society 

 of Paris, which had been postponed owing to the forth- 

 coming exhibition, will take place at the Sorbonne on the 

 27th inst. Mr. Stanley, it is understood, will be present to- 

 receive the gold medal awarded him. The National 

 Geographical Congress v/ill take place in the beginning of 

 September in the hotel built by the Paris Geographical 

 Society, and which will be inaugurated on this occasion. 

 It is said on good authority that the presidency of that 

 Congress Avill be given to M. de Lesseps. 



