379 
NATURE 
[arch 9, 1871 


on the Eclipse Expedition. In Mr. Lockyer’s article it is 
stated :—“‘ Now at Syracuse Mr. Brothers also photo- 
graphed rifts, three rifts, but the sketches did not record 
a single one ;” forgetting, evidently, that at Syracuse no 

rs 
Frem Prof. Watson’s From American Photo. From Photograph 
Drawing. taken at Cadiz. taken at Syracuse. 
attempt was made to sketch the Corona either by our own 
party or the Americans. At Agosta Mr. Brett was 
stationed, but as the Eclipse was only visible there for 
about fve seconds, of course in that time no artist could 
preiend to make a drawing. It happens, however, that 
Prof. Watson was at Carlentini, and being favoured with 
a clear sky he succeeded in making a very careful draw- 
ing, which I had the good fortune to see and compare 
with my photograph No. 5 a few days after the Eclipse. 
An outline of this drawing I now give, so that it may be 
compared with the photographs made in Spain and at 
Syracuse. 
There are two or three points which must be considered 
in comparing drawings and photographs. The photographs 
will differ according as they are made with a camera or 
telescope, and the drawings will differ according as they 
are made with the aid of a telescope or without. With 
the telescope the field of view is limited, and the eye is 
naturally attracted chiefly by the intense light of the red 
prominences and the corona near the moon’s limit. Naked- 
eye drawings ought to be as valuable as photographs, but 
I doubt if any two artists will ever be found to make 
sketches agreeing in every particular, On photography 
must we depend for settling doubtful points of this nature, 
and it seems to mein this case to be absolutely settled 

that three rifts are identical. The outline sketches speak 














































THE LATE ECLIPSE, AS PHOTOGRAPHED AT SYRACUSE 
for themselves. A pair of compasses applied to the points 
formed by lines drawn from the moon’s centre to the centres 
of the depressions (or rifts) in the corona, will show 
whether or not the places of the three gaps are the same. 
It may be said that Lord Lindsay’s photographs taken 
five miles from the station occupied by the American 
observers in Spain, do not show therifts. This, I think, 
must be accounted for by the presence of cloud. The 
cloud may have been so thin as to be quite invisible in the 
feeble light of the Eclipse, but yet suthcient to prevent the 
photographic delineation of the rifts. Three of my photo- 
graphs were taken through cloud, and they show us traces 
of rifts. The fifth plate shows three distinctly, and less 
plainly five or six others. : 
Professor Watson’s drawing shows two gaps corre- 
sponding with 1 and 6 in both photographs, and de- 
pression in the corona agreeing very closely indeed with 
my picture. 
This evidence seems to me to be absolutely irresistible 
as to the identity of the great rifts in the corona. 
In explanation of the way the outline drawings have 

been made, I may say that the points marked from 1 to 6 
have been pricked through the photographs, Professor 
Watson’s drawing having been reduced to the same scale 
as the photographs, and pricked off in the same manner. 
A. BROTHERS 
EXPEDITION OF THE “DUQUESNE” 
M RICHARD, master in the Royal Navy, directed the 
* Expedition, and is now attached tothe Lille aéronautic 
station for the Department of the North. I have intetro- 
gated him and elicited from him the following details, which can 
without inconvenience be placed before the eyes of the general 
public. The French Republican Government having in view the 
promotion of general knowledge, as well as the defence of the 
national integrity, did not object to any communicatiop which is 
not directly connected with warfare. 
The aérostat, ‘‘ Le Duquesne,” was despatched from Paris on 
January 9, at three o’clock in the morning, before.a large attend- 
ance, among them some members of the French Institute. The 
