June 30, 1892] 



NA rURE 



203 



learn, will be occupied by the American astronomers. 

 So far as we know at present, the Lick Observatory will 

 send a party to Chili under the direction of M. Schaeberle, 

 while Prof. Pickering will also direct other observers 

 somewhere about the same spot. To the north of the 

 Argentine Republic, and on the railway which runs up 

 from Buenos Ayres, there seems to be another spot which 

 would be available. This place, Rosario de la Frontera, 

 lies to the north of Tucaman, and to the south of Jujuy, 

 its approximate position being longitude 65° 7', latitude 

 25^ 48' S. The duration of totality here amounts to 

 3m. 8s., the local time of its commencement being April 15, 

 2oh. 40m. This place should, if possible, be made use of, 

 for, besides being easily accessible, the probabilities from 

 all accounts seem to be in favour of fine weather. From 

 observations gathered from the nearest meteorological 

 station, Salta, the mean annual temperature is found to 

 be 63° "6 F., and the rainfall 228 inches ; the chances for 

 clear weather at this season being estimated at two- 

 thirds. 1 



Following the track of the shadow across Brazil, no 

 suitable spots are reached until the coast is approached ; 

 the most favourable place here is no doubt Fortaleza or 

 Ceara, the capital of the province of Ceara, and a city of 

 20,000 inhabitants. Para Curu is also another very 

 favourable point, lying nearly in the centre of the line of 

 central eclipse ; its position is longitude 38' 30', latitude 

 3° 42' S., and the local time of the beginning of the 

 eclipse is April 15, 23h. 40m., the time of its duration 

 being 4m. 44s. 



With regard to the weather in this neighbourhood, the 

 chances for clear skies seem, unfortunately, very small. 

 The rainfall is reckoned as over 100 inches per annum, 

 while even in April 10 inches has been usually recorded. 

 For the last five years fifceen days on an average in this 

 month have been rainy, the number in one year 

 reaching twenty-one. 



Taking into account the easy accessibility of the place, 

 and its important position on the line of totality, it seems 

 desirable that at any rate there should be some observers 

 there. 



Following the shadow over the Atlantic Ocean, we 

 arrive at the shores of West Africa, on which prob- 

 ably both French and English expeditions will take up 

 their respective positions. The accompanying map 

 (Fig. 2) shows the coast-line of this region ; ab, cd, and 

 EF indicating the line of central eclipse and the northern 

 and southern limits. The places which seem at present 

 to be the most favourable are Joal and Palmerin, on the 

 coast, if observations there are more convenient than 

 others made inland. 



The prospect of fine weather seems to be more prob- 

 able here than in America. December, January, and 

 February are the cloudy months, the weather during 

 March and April being usually fine ; the rains begin 

 about May : sometimes tornadoes occur at intervals of 

 five or six days, being accompanied by heavy rain, lasting 

 generally from one to two hours, leaving the atmosphere 

 afterwards bright and clear. The wind called the 

 " Harmattan " during the first three months of the year 

 is generally from the north-east and dry. It comes from 

 the Sahara Desert, and brings with it consequently 

 minute particles of sand, tending to give the atmosphere 

 a yellowish tint. In April the prevailing wind is westerly 

 to north-westerly, and not usually very strong. 



The route which the English expedition will take has 

 up the present not been definitely settled. Several lines 

 of steamers run to Teneriffe and Grand Canary, and if 

 one of Her Majesty's ships picked the expedition up at 

 Teneriffe and carried them either to Bathurst or directly 

 to the Salum River, the matter would be simplified ; but 



■ The information for the most part concerning the American stations is 

 gathered from Mr. H. S. Pritcheit's article, "The Total Solar Eclipse 

 April 15-16, 1-93," '\Ti\\i(t ]wncn\xm^iir o{ Astronomy and Astro-Physici. 



NO. I 183, VOL. 46] 



failing this the only^available route seems to be that by the 

 British and African Steam Navigation Company. These 

 steamers, touching at Madeira, Teneriffe, Grand Canary,. 

 Goree, and Dakar, naturally require much time to get to 

 Bathurst. Of the return conditions it seems impossible 

 to get any information at present. 



Taking into account the accessibility and proximity t& 

 the line of totality, perhaps Palmerin and other places on 

 the same river (River Salum) offer the greatest advant- 

 ages. The bar at the mouth of the river would prevent 

 a man-of-war of deep draft from proceeding up the 

 river. As the region here is all under French protec- 

 tion, the necessary official letters will of course have ta 

 be obtained. 



There are one or two other points relating to this region 

 if it should by any chance be ultimately settled upon. 

 Luxuries in the way of tea, sugar, milk (condensed), 

 cocoa and milk, condiments, wine or spirits, flour, 

 biscuits, soups, and preserved meats, should all be 

 brought from England ; rice, fowls, sheep, goats, and 

 bullocks being always procurable from the native 

 villages. 



Cement and lime should also be taken out, and it seems 

 probable that the huts for the instruments should be 

 constructed at home and carried out there in pieces. The 

 necessary housing of the observers (and escort, if any) 

 would not prove very difficult, for either room could be 

 found in the villages, or bamboo and grass huts could be 

 quickly run up by the natives ; it might be advisable to 

 take one or two small tents, as they might prove very 

 serviceable just after landing. 



With regard to the packing of the necessary instru- 

 ments, it may be said that the carriers' loads vary from 

 40 to 65 pounds ; a case capable of being slung on a 

 bamboo can weigh as much as 250 pounds, while to 

 carry aweightofone hundredweight the servicesof two men 

 would be required. Their wages would, of course, depend 

 on whether they were obtained from Bathurst or the 

 trading wharf on the river at the point of disembarkation ,^ 

 as in the latter case they could be discharged as soon as 

 the selected spot had been reached. 



UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN: TERCENTENARY 

 CELEBRA TION. 



THE celebration of the tercentenary of the Univer- 

 sity of Dublin will begin on Tuesday next, and 

 all the necessary arrangements have now been made. 

 Neither the Great College Hall nor the Chapel have been, 

 found large enough to hold the number of guests who 

 have accepted the invitation of the Chancellor of the 

 University (Earl of Rosse) and the Provost of Trinity 

 College (Rev. Dr. Salmon), and it has been deemed 

 necessary to hold the Commemoration Service in the 

 Collegiate and Cathedral Church of St. Patrick, and the 

 ceremony of the presentation of addresses in the 

 Leinster Hall, the largest covered area in Dublin. In 

 this hall the College banquet will be given, and the 

 students have also engaged it for a University ball, 

 which is to bring the festivities to a close. 



It is expected and hoped that most of the invited 

 guests and delegates will arrive in Dublin in the course 

 of Monday evening, July 4, as the reception by the 

 Provost of Trinity College will be held at 10 o'clock on 

 the Tuesday morning, and immediately after this cere- 

 mony the members of the three classes of University 

 officers with the members of the Senate, the other 

 graduates and the undergraduates, will accompany the 

 guests and delegates from the Examination Hall of 

 Trinity College to St. Patrick's Cathedral, a distance of 

 about a mile. Should the weather be fine and the pro- 

 cession properly marshalled, the general effect promises- 

 to be as fine as it will in the streets of Dublin be noveL 



