

THE EXPEDITION AT TALNI. 13 



Our observing huts the plan of which Mr. Thwaites and 

 Mr. Morris had worked out together were four in number. 

 Mr. Smith held the most easterly, our hut followed next, 

 Mr. Thwaites came third, whilst Mr. Evershed chose his nearest 

 the sunset. 



It will be easily understood that the fifteen days which were 

 at our disposal for the work of preparation were very busy ones, 

 and even if Talni or its neighbourhood had had many attractions 

 to offer to the sight-seer, we could not have taken much 

 advantage of them. Our daily routine was much as follows :- 

 Unless we had been observing very late the night before, we 

 had " chota hazri " soon after daybreak, and rose shortly after. 

 Until about 10 o'clock we worked in our observatories, when we 

 returned to our tents for our baths, and to get ready for break- 

 fast. Some of us found it convenient to change into lighter 

 clothes at this opportunity, so rapid was the rise of temperature 

 as the sun approached the meridian. Breakfast was about 11 

 or 1 1 .30, and was a long leisurely meal, the day being now very 

 hot, but the heat being relieved by the " devils," the local term 

 for little miniature whirlwinds that sprang up about noon, each 

 lasting but a few seconds, and travelling a few yards, but keeping 

 the air from stagnation. From breakfast to tea-time was the 

 lazy time of the day, the time for reading or writing, or even 

 for a nap. At all events, so far as might be, we kept in our 

 tents or under our trees, and if we worked, occupied ourselves 

 with matters that could be carried on there. Afternoon tea 

 was an informal and movable feast, but by half-past four we had 

 generally all found our way to our meeting tent. From that 

 time to sundown we were usually all hard at work in our 

 observing huts. During the first hour after sundown the 

 Zodiacal Light which had so impressed us on our voyage usually 

 again claimed our attention, and we made several attempts, 

 unfortunately unsuccessful, to photograph it and its spectrum.* 

 Next, as the stars came out, we determined or tested the adjust- 

 ments of our instruments. Then, when the darkness had become 

 complete, my wife set about her task of photographing the 

 Milky Way with our little camera, the field of which was some 

 36 square. Dinner time was about half-past eight, after which, 

 if moonlight did not interfere, we renewed our photographic 

 work until we had either given as long an exjx)sure to a plate 

 as we desired, or the field upon which we were engaged had 

 moved to an inconvenient i>osition, or the moon had begun to 

 si iow herself. 



Those still cold nights under the bright Indian stars will not 

 soon be forgotten by us. The heavens claimed chief attention. 

 It was not only that during our entire stay in camp, no single 



* Capt. Molesworth subsequently succeeded in photographing it at Trin- 

 comalee. 



