COMMITTEES ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT 259 



as chairman of the Transit of Venus Commission in the opera- 

 tions then in progress. 79 His report and that of the Secretary of 

 the Navy contain an admirable summary of the undertaking up 

 to June 30, 1874. The Secretary, George M. Robeson, writes: 



" It has been a part of the duty of this Department, under provisions of laws 

 passed by Congress at its last three sessions, to organize expeditions for observing 

 the transit of Venus, which occurs on December 8 of the present year. A plan 

 of observation was very carefully matured by the commission created by Congress 

 for that purpose in 1871, and the organization and arrangement of the parties were 

 made to accord with that plan. The entire scientific corps of the expedition, num- 

 bering forty-two persons in all, spent several weeks at the Naval Observatory last 

 spring in preliminary practice with the same instruments they were to use at the 

 stations, thus becoming familiar with the difficult and delicate operations involved 

 in the final observations. The five parties designed for the southern stations 

 were embarked on the ship Swatara, Capt. Ralph Chandler, and sailed from 

 New York June 8. So far as yet known the parties were all successfully landed 

 at the selected stations, with the single exception of that on the Crozet Islands. 

 Here there is no anchorage, and the constant stormy weather which prevailed 

 during the period which it was prudent for the ship to delay, prevented a landing. 

 The possibility of this failure had been anticipated by the commission, and the 

 Swatara had been directed to land the party at or near Melbourne, in the event 

 of failure to land at the station first selected. 



" The three northern parties were sent by the regular course of commercial 

 conveyance to Nagasaki, which had been selected as one of the stations. The 

 parties designed for Wladiwostok and Peking were taken thither from Nagasaki 

 by naval ships. 



" It not being prudent to attempt the return of all the southern parties by the 

 Swatara, the Monongahela was sent out from the Brazilian station to convey the 

 party from Kerguelan Island to Rio de Janeiro, whence they can return by regular 

 lines of travel." 80 



Admiral Davis adds some interesting information regarding 

 the photographic work connected with the observations: 



" Under the specific action and direction of this commission, from time to 

 time the requisite instruments have been selected and made ; the parties have been 

 constituted, the station adopted, and the work of preparation and instruction 

 has been carefully matured and strictly executed. 



"At the meeting of the gth of February, 1874, it was decided to invite Dr. 

 Henry Draper, of New York, to take charge of the work of putting into suc- 



79 See Life of Charles H. Davis, p. 332. 



80 Rep. Seer. Navy for 1874, p. 16. 



