458 



NA TURE 



[September 7, 1905 



spectrum. The large size of the image involves the 

 use of very great photographic plates, and in this 

 case plates 2 feet square and 2 feet by i foot will be 

 used. 



In order to keep out the light from the cloth tube 

 connecting the mirror with the camera, sails have 

 •been erected on large spars, making the whole tube 

 a very imposing structure. 



Two new additions to eclipse drill have been intro- 

 duced to render the organisation more perfect and 

 flexible in e.xceptional circumstances, and both of 

 these have been proved to be necessarv. During one 



of the rehearsals the other day the eclipse clock 

 stopped owing to the hand coming in contact with 

 the dial over which it moves. Such an occurrence 

 has never been known in our eclipse history before, 

 and the timekeepers remained dumb after counting 

 " 163 seconds more." In future, a man with a stop- 

 watch will stand with the timekeepers and keep a 

 tally of the 10 seconds as they pass. 



The second innovation was prompted bv the possible 

 absence on the day of the eclipse of anv one meriiber 

 of a group working an instrument. Unfortunatelv. I 



'Fig. 5.— The C(£lostat end of the i6 ft. coronagraph, which is under the 

 tent on the right. 



had to spend the whole of Saturday, August 26, in 

 "bed by the doctor's orders ; but my instrument was 

 very efficiently worked by the navigating officer, 

 Lieut. Home, who will make the cusp observations 

 from my siderostat during the eclipse. In each party, 

 then, the work of each member was changed, arid 

 •drills were carried out under this scheme with success. 

 I should like to take this opportunity of thanking 

 NO. 187 I, vol. 72] 



most heartily both Staff-Surgeon Clift and Surgeon 

 Jones, of H.M.S. Venus, for their very kind and 

 efficient assistance on that occasion. 



The camp at the present time practically fills the 

 whole of the enclosed ground placed very generously 

 at our service. Through the kindness of the local 

 authorities, e.xtra tents have been provided, and much 

 material loaned in the way of wood for the shadow- 

 band party, handcarts for the use of the men bring- 

 ing water and provisions from the ship, &c. 



To avoid the inconvenience of any dust arising 

 from the road to the north of the camp, the same 

 authorities will keep this well watered on the day of 

 the eclipse, and for some days previous to it, and they 

 have also arranged that the manufacturers' chimneys, 

 which are very numerous here, shall not smoke during 

 the time of the eclipse. 



WlLLI.'\M J. S. LOCKYER. 



(2) Reports of Observ.vfions. 



Up to the time of writing very few details as to 

 ilic actual scientific results obtained during the total 

 i-clipse of the sun on .August 30 have arrived 

 in this country; but it is very clear that the hopes 

 expressed in these pages on August 24 have not been 

 completely realised on account of the prevalence of 

 cloud during totality at several stations. 



Telegraphing from Castellon, Prof. Callendar states 

 that, although the first and last contacts were 

 observed in a clear sky, totality was entirely obscured 

 by clouds. Good records of radiation and tempera- 

 ture were, however, secured. Similarly, Mr. Ever- 

 shed, who had set up a very fine prismatic camera 

 near to Burgos, says in a telegram to the Royal 

 Society, "Thick clouds; no results." This forms 

 a striking contrast to the reports of the Press corre- 

 spondents, which state that all the observations at 

 Burgos itself were successfully carried out during a 

 temporary break in the clouds. A reproduction of a 

 photograph of the corona, taken with a camera of 

 48 inches focal length by Mr. J. T. Pigg at Burgos, 

 appeared in the Daily News for September 2. 



.At Palma, Majorca, the expedition from the Solar 

 Physics Observatory, South Kensington, under the 

 direction of Sir Norman Lockyer, and assisted by 

 the oflicers and crew of H.M.S. Venus, were 

 apparently only a little more successful, for as the 

 crucial moment of totality arrived dense clouds came 

 up and obliterated the sun. .At about mid-totality, 

 however, a break in the clouds occurred, and some 

 photographs were secured which, it is hoped, may at 

 least show the form and extent of the corona. 

 Several good drawings of this feature, which was 

 of the " maximum " type seen in 1871 and 1882, 

 were made by the " disc " sketching parties. 



At Saragossa, cirrus clouds prevented observations 

 being made. 



Encouraging but brief reports have been received 

 from the observers at the North African stations. 



Mr. Newall, at Guelma, appears to have been 

 singularly fortunate, for he reports " superb weather 

 conditions, observations successfully made," and 

 states _ that he observed a brilliant' corona of the 

 " maximum '_' type having remarkably long streamers 

 — one of which extended towards Mercury for more 

 than three degrees — and unusually dark rays. 

 Splendid prominences were also observed by him. 



Sir William Christie's report from Sfax is not 

 quite so sanguine, for he states that the sky was 

 partially cloudy ; nevertheless, photographs " were 

 secured with all instruments, and the eclipse was 

 satisfactorily observed. A Reuter telegram from this 

 station sa3's that during the period "of totality no 

 clouds interfered with the observations. 



