460 



NA TURE 



[September 7, 1905 



to extend to at least twice this distance. The wliole 

 corona had an appearance of movement, sug'gesting 

 to Mr. Buchanan certain features which occur when 

 a search-light illuminates the atmosphere. 



Observations of the partial eclipse are of no great 

 interest as compared with those made during totality, 

 but a number of thermometric readings were recorded 

 at numerous stations. Mr. Spencer Russell, in a 

 communication to the Standard for September 2, gives 

 a table of fifteen-minute observations of a wet and 

 dry bulb thermometer, made at Epsom between 

 11.45 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the day of the eclipse. 

 Whilst the wet bulb readings remained constant at 

 53° F. , the dry bulb showed a minimum temperature 

 of 54° F. between 12.45 ^nd 1.30 p.m. Photographs 

 of the partial eclipse were secured by Messrs. Spencer 

 and Butler during a balloon journey from Wands- 

 worth to Caen in Normandy. 



An interesting record of a series of " pin-hole " 

 images of the crescent sun reaches us from Sir Joseph 

 Fayrer, F.R.S. Whilst sailing in a ten-ton boat 

 haying a large mainsail, he "observed the partial 

 eclipse under favourable conditions in Falmouth Bay. 

 About I p.m. a slight breeze caused the sail to incline 

 from the perpendicular, and a number of well defined 

 crescent images were projected on to the whitened 

 deck of the boat, and occasionally on to the water. 

 An investigation showed that these images were 

 formed by a series of eyelet holes, used for the balance 

 reef, high up in the sail. The phenomenon was so 

 vivid and the images so sharply defined as to appear 

 worthy of record. 



A correspondent to the Daily Graphic (September 2), 

 the Rev. Frederick Ehlvers,' rector of Shaftesbury, 

 Dorset, records the remarkable phenomenon of an 

 evening primrose unfolding itself during the eclipse 

 as if evening had arrived. Observers at the Solar 

 Physics Observatory, South Kensington, were pre- 

 vented by clouds from seeing the eclipse, except for 

 one or two breaks of short duration. About one 

 minute before last contact, however, the sky suddenly 

 became clear for a short distance around the sun, and 

 brilliant sunshine prevailed as the last trace of the 

 moon left the solar disc. 



TECHNICAL EDI CATION IN NATAL.' 



'yHE report of the commission appointed to inquire 

 into technical education in Natal has just been 

 received. It is signed by eleven out of twelve of the 

 commissioners, and Mr.'C. I. Mudie, superintendent 

 of education, has forwarded a minority report. 



The commission, under the presidency of Sir David 

 Hunter, K.C.M.G., held eleven meetings and ex- 

 amined fifty witnesses; some of the members were 

 also sent to Johannesburg to confer with the council 

 and board of studies of the Transvaal Technical 

 Institute. Delegates from the Orange River Colony 

 also attended the conference. 



The commission finds that Natal, with its Euro- 

 pean population of 97,109. has as yet but meagre 

 provision for technical and higher education, and, 

 indeed, states that boys who had received primary 

 and secondary education in the colony were frequently 

 found to be so deficient in general' knowledge that 

 they were not well qualified "to enter upon technical 

 education. 



The result of inquiries as to the probability of 

 youths availing themselves of instruction should 'it be 

 placed within their grasp was decidedly encouraging, 

 and the commission concludes, from the evidence and 



1 Colony of Natal. Report of the Technical Ed 

 May, 1905. (Maritzburg : P. Davis and Sons, 1905.) 



NO. I 87 I, VOL. 72] 



statistics, and from the fact that considerable sums 

 are being expended by individuals in Natal on 

 .American correspondence classes and private tuition, 

 that there is an urgent necessity for more adequate 

 provision to equip the youth of the colony for the 

 battle of life. 



The resolutions of the conference held at Johannes- 

 burg point out that there is a present and immediate 

 need for a full teaching university in South Africa, 

 and that the colonies in which the university may 

 not be situated should each have one or more colleges 

 or institutes devoted to higher or technical education 

 which should be recognised by the university council 

 as integral parts of that teaching university, and that 

 the university should grant diplomas in professional 

 subjects, and degrees in arts and science, in the 

 faculties of (i) education; (2) engineering, including 

 mining; (3) agriculture; (4) law; and (5) medicine. 



The recommendations of the commission are based 

 upon the resolutions of the conference, and suggest 

 that immediate steps should be taken by the Govern- 

 ment to provide for higher education ; that a council 

 be appointed by Government to organise and control 

 technical education in Natal which shall be indepen- 

 dent of the education department, although that de- 

 partment should be represented on the council. It 

 suggests that specialists be obtained as lecturers in 

 (1) chemistry and metallurgy; (2) physics and electro- 

 technics ; (3) natural science (botany, zoology, geo- 

 logy, physiology) ; (4) pure and applied mechanics ; 

 (5) modern history and literature ; while other subjects 

 would be taught by local part-time men. 



It is suggested that Pietermaritzburg has first 

 claim for this college, but that Durban also has 

 claims, and the commission thinks that the foregoing 

 lecturers should be peripatetic, in the first place teach- 

 ing at Pietermaritzburg and Durban only, but as 

 occasion required going farther afield. 



While appearing to have somewhat wide views as 

 to the subjects that should be taught — for .twenty-six 

 branches are mentioned in the list of subjects in 

 which the commission finds there is a need for classes 

 — the estimates of cost are strictly moderate, for the 

 annual expenditure is taken at 6500Z., and the initial 

 expenditure to provide the necessary equipment for 

 engineering, chemical, physical, natural science, and 

 other laboratories is estimated at about 2000!. It is 

 true that no provision is made in this estimate for 

 rent or capital expenditure on buildings, but we should 

 think even without these the estimate was likely to 

 be exceeded. 



All institutions, however, must have a beginning, 

 and those which start with the highest aspirations 

 have a good chance of attaining some, if not all, of 

 their objects. There can be no doubt that technical 

 education should be conducted everywhere quite apart 

 from the education department, and as much as 

 possible under the guidance of men who are 

 acquainted with some at least of the subjects that 

 are being taught. Technical education, especially in 

 the colonies, should be made accessible to everyone, 

 and should more especially offer inducements to those 

 who are working for their living to improve their 

 knowledge of the sciences which underlie their 

 handicrafts. If this be the first object in view, it will 

 be evident that evening classes and evening labor- 

 atory work must be undertaken before any attempt 

 is made to form day classes. It appears to be chiefly 

 on this subject th.at Mr. Mudie dissented from the 

 report of the commission, for he thinks the college at 

 Pietersburg, which, as he says, covers a preparatory, 

 a high school, and a college proper, should form the 

 nucleus of a university college in Natal. It would 

 not seem to be a desirable thing to commence oper- 

 ations in this way for many reasons, the principal of 



