4B 



MATUkE 



\Nov. 9. 



pendants shackled on before leaving port, it was with no 

 little difficulty that make-shift rudder pendants were im- 

 provised ; but by their means the ship has been steered 

 across the Atlantic, the sails being trimmed to bring as 

 little strain as possible on the rudder. The Discovery 

 was lost sight of during a heavy gale on the 19th. Dur- 

 ing the passage, southerly winds prevailed. The spare 

 rudder, itself badly sprung, has been repaired, and is in 

 serviceable condition ; when it is shifted the Alert will be 

 ready to proceed to Portsmouth. Captain Stephenson, 

 before parting company, was ordered to rendezvous at 

 Queenstown. 



In conclusion, it is my pleasing duty to inform you 

 for the information of their Lordships, that one and all 

 under my command have done their duty well and 

 nobly, the utmost cordiality prevailing throughout the 

 members of the Expedition from first to last. Capt. 

 Stephenson has been a most valuable colleague, and I am 

 much indebted to him for his friendly advice, and ready 

 help on all occasions. 



The executive officers have each been mentioned in the 

 detailed reports of Capt. Stephenson and myself ; their 

 conduct when taxed to the utmost, under difficult and 

 most distressing circumstances, is beyond all praise. 

 Much as the attack of scurvy which visited us is to be 

 regretted, it proved how valuable were the services of 

 Fleet-Surgeon Thomas Colan, M.D., and Staff-Surgeon 

 Belgrave Ninnis, M.D,, who were so ably assisted by 

 Surgeons Edward Lawton Moss, M.D., and Richard 

 William Coppinger, M.D. These officers are each of 

 great talent and high character, and have fully borne out 

 the confidence imposed in them by the Medical Director- 

 General ; any reward that it is in the t^ ower of their 

 Lordships to bestow on these gentlemen could not be 

 given to more careful or zealous officers. 



Lieuts. Lewis Anthony Beaumont and William Henry 

 May, who voluntarily undertook the navigating duties in 

 their respective ships, have performed that work most 

 ably. 



Lieuts. May and Robert Hugh Archer have charted 

 the coast line from the entrance of Smith's Sound to the 

 northward with great exactness ; these officers have 

 earned their Lordships' commendation. 



The Expedition is much indebted to Mr. Thomas 

 Mitchell, Assistant Paymaster-in- charge ; the departure 

 of the Assistant Paymaster of the Alert has much in- 

 creased his work, as the only officer of his rank in the 

 Expedition. In order the more readily to assist me, he 

 performed a sledge journey in the early season from the 

 Discovery to the A lert, and has since then divided his 

 time between the two ships. He is a steady and trust- 

 worthy officer, and as such I recommend him for pro- 

 motion. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. George White, Engineer, 

 have made a most valuable collection of photographs of 

 subjects connected with Arctic life and scenes. 



The Engineers of the two ships have always most 

 zealously assisted, like everyone else, in the general work, 

 and fully occupied their spare time for the benefit of the 

 Expedition. 



Messrs. James Wootton and Daniel Cartmel deserve 

 great praise for the invariable excellent order in which 

 the engines under their charge have been kept, and for 

 the careful economy of the coal supply, a vital point in 

 Arctic exploration. Messrs. George White and Matthew 

 Richard Miller are each careful and talented officers, I 

 most confidently recommend the claims of these four 

 gentlemen, who were voluntarily employed with the sup- 

 port sledges, to the favourable consideration of their 

 Lordships. 



The two ships' companies have conducted themselves 

 in the most praiseworthy manner throughout ; they are 

 specially commendable for their resolute perseverance 

 during the trying sledge journeys which have been already 

 reported. Their good conduct and zeal entitles them to 



the most favourable consideration of their Lordships 

 list of men specially deserving of and fit for advancei 

 to higher rates will shortly be forwarded. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



The November Meteors. — The earth will arrive a 

 descending node of the first comet of 1866 (Tempel), ii 

 track of which the meteors of the November period are fou 

 travel, early on the evening of the 13th inst. The comet its 

 approaching the point of nearest approximation to the or 

 Uranus, which planet, however, is always far removed froti 

 comet during the present revolution. The distance fron 

 earth on November 13 is 19 "06, and from the sun iS'ii 

 mean distance of the earth from the sun being taken as u 

 and were we able to reach the comet with our telescopes it \ 

 then be found rather more than one degree to the west o 

 tares. The obvious existence of more than one point of exc( 

 condensation in this stream of meteors, necessitates a strict a 

 at each return of the earth to the nodal point, if we are to : 

 at a clear knowledge of the law of distribution along the ( 

 and as was remarked by M. Lever rier, " cela permetti 

 comprendre ces questions dans une theorie plus precise." 



Herschel's First Glimpse of Uranus.— Ilerschel's 

 observation for position of this planet on the night of disco 

 March 13, 1781, was made at loh. 30m. M.T. at Bath, whi 

 found it 2' 48" distant from a star which he calls a. For 

 who are curious in such matters it may be stated that the ta 

 place of Uranus at this time is in right ascension 5h. 35 m. 4I 

 and north polar distance 66° 27' 3", whence it appears that 

 schel's first comparison was made with the star Argel; 

 Z. -i- 24°, No. 1067, estimated 9"5m. ; the difference ol 

 minute of arc, between the observed distance and that com] 

 on reducing the star to March, 1781, being probably dc 

 error of position in the " Durchmusterung." The log-disi 

 of Uranus from the earth was l"2774. 



The Transit of Venus, 1882. — Prof. Bruhns has ( 

 lated the results of a new calculation of the circumstances o 

 transit, made from Leverrier's tables of sun and planet, o 

 method adopted by Hansen for the transit of 1874. The 

 suits, allowing for small . differences in the semi-diameter 

 ployed, are quite in accordance with those previously publ 

 by Hind, Puisseux, &c. Prof. Bruhns hopes to issue a ch 

 the limiting curves in this transit, founded upon this new 

 putation, before the end of the present year. 



Mr. Knobel's Catalogue of the Literature of i 

 real Astronomy. —One of those exceedingly usefulj 

 monotonous and laborious performances which exhibit th 

 zeal of the worker, occupies a large portion of the suppleme 

 number of the " Monthly Notices " of the Royal Astrono 

 Society. It consists of a list of references to books, papers, 

 bearing upon the following subjects connected with stellar 

 nomy : — I. Double Stars, and the investigation of the orl 

 Binary Systems ; 2. Variable Stars ; 3. Red Stars ; 4. N 

 and Clusters ; 5. Proper Motions ; 6. Parallaxes of Stai 

 Stellar Spectra ; and, in the formation of this list, Mr. 

 Knobel has had the advantage of the valuable library ( 

 Royal Society, which is known to be remarkably rich in sci( 

 transactions, &c. , in addition to the library of the Royal j 

 nomical Society, to which numerous and important add 

 have been made of late years. In such a work it migl 

 perhaps be difficult for any one who has interested himsel 

 particular branch of sidereal astronomy to suggest some ad 

 which he would like to have seen incorporated. For ins' 

 if a calculator of double-star orbits be looking up measu 

 a Centauri, he will find no reference to the valuable mei 

 by Mr. E, B. Powell, at Madras, under his name. 



