I0 4 IN STARRY REALMS. 



care of the Lick Trust a great sum of money, and directed 

 them " to erect a powerful telescope, superior to and more 

 powerful than any telescope ever yet made, with all 

 the machinery appertaining thereto, and also a suitable 

 observatory," 



To carry out this trust a careful search was made to 

 obtain the most suitable locality, and an expedition was 

 sent to the top of Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, in 

 California. The observations showed that the air was 

 remarkably steady, and that there was a continued 

 succession of perfect nights. Then, too, it was found 

 that observations of objects very low down in the sky 

 were practicable to a far greater extent than in other 

 observatories in similar latitudes. Mr. Burnham, a dis- 

 tinguished American astronomer, who conducted these 

 preliminary tests of the capabilities of Mount Hamilton, 

 made many valuable discoveries of new double stars, many 

 of them being exquisitely beautiful and delicate objects, 

 during the six months that his stay lasted. These trials 

 having proved eminently satisfactory, Mount Hamilton was 

 decided upon as the seat of the Lick Observatory. Then 

 commenced the arduous task of constructing and equipping 

 a vast astronomical establishment on the summit of a 

 mountain four thousand feet in height, and twenty-six 

 miles distant from the nearest town. With true American 

 energy these difficulties have been severally vanquished. 

 The county of Santa Clara provided, and now maintains, a 

 magnificent road, which runs by a gentle slope the whole 

 way from San Jose to the top of Mount Hamilton. Then 

 the top of the mountain had to be cut off to make a level 

 platform large enough for the buildings. To do this no 



