ON THE SOLAR ECLIPSE OF DEC. 12, 1871. 329 



department of Photography ; and the Committee have to express their sense of 

 the generous assistance aiforded them by that nobleman in supplying all the 

 necessary photographic apparatus. 



Mr. Holiday, a skilful artist, who had long been a student of physical 

 science, undertook to sketch the phenomena of the eclipse. 



To the other gentlemen the spectroscopic and polariscopic observations were 

 allotted under the direction of Mr. Lockyer. 



Before leaving England Mr. Lockyer telegraphed and wrote to Signer 

 Respighi, a very eminent Italian astronomer, requesting him to join the 

 party, which, by the liberality of the Italian Government, he was able to do, 

 joining at Suez, and rendering most valuable assistance. 



Mr. Lockyer tried further to obtain the assistance of several very distin- 

 guished foreign Q observers. He communicated with Mr. Young, M. Janssen, 

 M. Zijllner, M. Angstrom, Prof. Schmidt, and Mr. Peise ; but from various 

 causes none of these gentlemen could join the party. 



The expedition embarked at Southampton on the steamer 'Mirzapore,' 

 receiving early attention and assistance from Captain Paris, R.N.R., and the 

 officers of that ship, which was selected on account of its passing through the 

 Suez Canal, so that all risk of injury to the instruments was avoided. The 

 party reached Galle on the 27th of November, fifteen days before the day of 

 the eclipse. 



Subject to any alteration which might become needful on the receipt of 

 more complete information in Ceylon, Mr. Lockyer had made the following 

 arrangements of stations and observers : — 

 Ceylon. Trincomalee : Mr. Moseley. 



Jaifna : Mr. Lewis, Captain Tupman, E.M.A. 

 India. Poodoocotta, near Trichinopoly : Signor Respighi, Mr. Holiday. 

 Mannatoddy, in Wynaad : Rev. Mr. Abbay, Mr. Friswell. 

 Baikul, in Canara : Mr. Lockyer, Mr. Davis, Captain Maclear, 

 Dr. Thomson. 

 The Ceylon party embarked at once on the ' Serendib,' where they were 

 received by Captain Pyers, R.E., the Surveyor- General of Ceylon, and Captain 

 Hogg, R.E., who had been requested by the Ceylon Government to assist the 

 expedition, and both of whom furnished very valuable reports. 



The other parties embarked on board the frigate ' Glasgow,' whence the 

 Poodoocotta party was landed at Beypore, the Ws'uaad party at Cannanore, 

 and the Canara party at Baikul. 



The Committee are happy to state that the weather was favourable, and 

 the observations successful at all the stations but one. At Mannatoddy, in 

 Wynaad, the sun was obscured, and the regret with which the Committee 

 learned the bad luck of Messrs. Abbay and Priswell was enhanced by their 

 knowledge that the land journey of these observers was one of great hardship 

 and fatigue. 



The Committee are most anxious to take this opportunity of stating that 

 the expedition received every possible assistance from the Yiceroy and 

 Governor-General, the late Lord Mayo, from the Governor of Madras, Lord 

 Napier, and from the Governor of Ceylon, Sir Hercules Robinson, and from 

 all the officials of both the Indian and Colonial Governments with whom 

 they came in contact. 



they have further to report that the frigate ' Glasgow' not having been 

 able, owing to its services being urgently reqiiired elsewhere, to bring the 

 parties back to Galle and Bombay, the Government of Madras was good 

 enough to assist the expedition, which would otherwise have been in diffi- 



