May 19, 1910] 



NA TURE 



341 



the ascent made it impossible of access with instrumems, 

 as for part of the way the slope was from 35 to 40 degrees. 

 From the top it was possible to locate probable sites, 

 and it was seen that there were only two, one at Spain 

 Bay near Hilliard Head, and the other Hixson Point, or 

 Sarah Island, in Bathurst Channel, the latter of which 

 Mr. Brooks and Captain Livingstone were already examin- 

 ing. Spain Bay was open to the full force of the ocean, 

 and was also very shallow, so that Hixson Point alone 

 remained feasible. This on examination was found to 

 answer all requirements. It was only 100 feet high, had 

 deep water close in, and, except for a 6-foot bluff on the 

 shore, had an easy gradient. It was protected from the 

 sea by the Breaksea Islands, and from wind on the south 

 by Morning Hill, and on the north by Mount Misery. 

 There was water within a few hundred yards in a small 

 bay where a camp might be set up, with a small amount 

 of bush cutting. The top was flat for some 200 feet by 



addition to tents, photographic materials, kitchen and 

 dining utensils, &c. The danger that weather would pre- 

 vent the steamer calling in made it advisable not to trust 

 to outside assistance. This has kept us very bus\', though 

 we have been given every assistance. Mr. Hughes, of the 

 Union Company, has made arrangements for the 'Wainui 

 , to drop us and our kit at Port Davey on April 9, and also 

 to call in twice during our stay before it finally will take 

 us away on May 10 or ii to Melbourne. 



Accompanying' the above letter were several photo- 

 graphs of the region about Port Davey, with a large 

 scale map of the vicinit}'. Three of the above photo- 

 graphs, which, when placed together, form a pano- 

 ramic view looking towards the direction of the 

 eclipsed sun (azimuth 123°), have been reduced, and 

 are illustrated here in Fig. i. From this the reader 



SOUTHERN OCEAN 



Fig 2. 



100 feet, and the angle of view from it covered the horizon 

 from west to north-west, the actual figures for the low 

 horizon being : — 



South limit of view 

 Sunset on May 9 



Eclipse 



North limit of view 



98° azimuth from true south \ "« 



o / 



114 f» It I « 



123° „ „ (1» 



130° ., „ )< 



We therefore chose this spot for our eclipse observations, 

 and returned to the ship by mid-day. From Port Davey 

 we steamed along the south coast, passing through isolated 

 rocks many hundred feet high, and along a coast-line of 

 cliffs, sheer from the water's edge and crowned with trees, 

 offering no possible landing, and of absolutely no use for 

 astronomical observations. 



Since there were no supplies at Port Davey we have 

 had to arrange for provisions for the period of stay, in 



VO. 2 II 6, VOL. Z-^ 



will be able to gather an idea of the appearance of 

 ' the neighbourhood and the open view in the direction 



of the eclipse from the obser\-ing station at Hixson 

 j Point. 



I Fig. 2 illustrates a general plan of the neighbour- 

 j hood, and shows, by dotted lines, the various azimuths 

 1 mentioned in the aix)ve letter. 



Up to the present time no information is at hand 



regarding the erection of the instruments, the camp 

 ; life, and the rehearsals. This will no doubt be 

 I received soon, and will form the substance of a later 

 I contribution. 



, In conclusion, it may be mentioned that in the 

 j W estminster Gazette for May 12, a Reuter cablegram 

 I from Melbourne records the observation of the eclipse 

 I made at sea on the Oceanic Company's steamer 



