66 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



so long been overlooked. England simply strengthened 

 the southern observing corps : this could be done without 

 any change by which the Government astronomers would 

 have seemed to admit that ' some one had blundered/ Thus 

 the matter was arranged America, Russia, and Germany 

 occupying a large number of stations admirably suited for 

 applying the method which had been supposed to 'fail 

 totally.' The British Official astronomers, on whom of 

 course responsibility for adequately observing the transit (or 

 at least for properly applying money granted by the nation 

 for the purpose) alone rested, did in reality all, or nearly all, 

 that was necessary in doubling some of the southern observ- 

 ing parties, and strengthening all of them ; for unquestion- 

 ably other nations occupied suitable northern stations in 

 sufficiently strong force. 



It is to be remembered, however, in estimating the 

 probable value of the result which has been deduced from 

 the British observations, that as yet only a portion of these 

 observations has been effectively dealt with. The British 

 observations of the beginning of transit at northern and 

 southern stations give, when combined together, a value 

 of the sun's distance. The British observations of the 

 end of transit at other northern and southern stations give 

 also, when combined together, a value of the sun's distance. 

 And both sets combined give of course a mean value of the 

 sun's distance, more likely on the whole to be correct than 

 either value taken separately. But the British observations 

 of the duration of transit as observed from southern stations 

 do not of themselves give any means of determining the 

 sun's distance. They must be combined with observations 

 of the duration of transit as observed from northern stations ; 

 and no British party was stationed where such observations 

 could be obtained. The value, then, of these particular 

 British southern observations can only be educed when com- 

 parison is made between them and the northern observations 

 by American, German, and Russian astronomers. 



We must not, then, be disheartened if the results of the 



