588 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
pattern, having an objective of 3.4 inches aperture and 50 inches focus, and 
giving an image of the Sun of about half an inch in diameter which is enlarged by 
a secondary magnifier to about four inches in diameter. American astronomers 
contended that such instruments would be affected by troublesome errors due to 
the secondary magnifier and that position angles could not be obtained from it 
with sufficient accuracy. The Americans adopted the horizontal photoheliograph 
which is essentially a huge camera of long focus mounted accurately in the me- 
ridian and horizontal. The objective is a five-inch aperture and about forty feet 
focal length, giving images of the Sun upon the sensitive plate, of about four 
inches in diameter. A plain glass mirror guided by clock-work is used to throw 
the Sun's image upon the sensitive plate. The sensitive plate is mounted upon 
a solid pier enclosed in the photographic house. 
The result of the discussion of the photographs of 1874 was a complete vindi- 
cation of the American methods. The European photographs turned out to be 
valueless, while those obtained by the American parties yielded excellent results. 
It is much to be regretted that the publication of the results of the American 
photographs was so long delayed. It was only when the preparations for the 
transit for 1882 were well advanced that these results were made known. In 
the meantime an international congress of astronomers was held at Paris to con- 
sider how the transit of 1882 should be observed. The United States was not 
represented at this conference, and guided by their own experience alone, the 
European astronomers decided that the photographic method w*as a failure and 
should not be tried again. It is almost certain that had the success of the Amer- 
ican photographs been known their action would have been altogether different. 
Thus it happened that the astronomers of America and Europe differed widely 
as to the best method of utilizing one of the most important astronomical events 
of the century. The Europeans rejected photography and trusted to observations 
of contacts only; the Americans observed contacts because it involved but little 
additional cost and labor, but looked to photography for the most valuable re- 
sults. 
During the summer of 1882 Congress was in session till late in the summer, 
and the appropriations for the transit of Venus were not passed till some time in 
August. In consequence the preparations for the transit were somewhat hurried 
and there was little .opportunity for the photographers to practice. 
The parties which went to the southern hemisphere were stationed at the 
Cape of Good Hope, Santiago in Chili, Santa Cruz in Patagonia, and New Zea- 
land. The New Zealand party was one of the first to leave Washington, having 
a long journey to perform. The party, consisting of two astronomers and photo- 
graphers, sailed from San Francisco September 24, 1882, in one of the Pacific 
Mail S. S. Company's steamers. The voyage to New Zealand was a very smooth 
and pleasant one, occupying twenty- one days. On the way the ship touched at 
Honolulu and passed through the Navigator Group of Islands. 
Auckland, the port of landing for the American-Australian steamers, is one 
of the most picturesque places in the world and is probably the most flourishing 
