THE TRANSIT OF VENUS IN NEW ZEALAND. 589 
city in the colony. It has a magnificent harbor and is the commercial metropohs 
of the northern island. A fine volcano stands on an island in the harbor, and 
another rises just back of the city. The latter, called Mt. Eden, has a magnifi- 
cent crater, perfectly complete. It is in the form of a huge bowl. The island 
here is only about six miles wide, and there is a good harbor on the western side 
opposite Auckland. From the summit of Mt. Eden the winding bays and inlets 
of both harbors lie spread out before the eye, forming one of the most beautiful 
pictures in the world. 
The city of Auckland has a population of about 40,000, and is a well built 
and well governed city. The streets are broad, well paved and lighted; fine 
parks have been laid out and the public buildings are of a most substantial char- 
acter. 
The Maoris, the aborigines of New Zealand, are to be seen about Auckland 
and adjacent territory better than anywhere else in the colony. At one time 
they were nearly all nominal Christians, but at the present time they have lost 
most of their religious observances and rapidly learned all the vices of Europeans. 
They are fast dying out, and another half century will probably see them reduced 
to a few scattered remnants. 
Nothing could have been more hospitable than the welcome we received 
from the Government and people of New Zealand. Every facility of the Gov- 
ernment was put at our service, and every citizen of Auckland was anxious to 
do anything in his power to help along the work of the expedition. For various 
reasons Auckland was selected as the point of observation. A good site was 
found in the " Domain," a public park in the outskirts of the city. Permission 
was ;^t once given for its use and for the erection of suitable buildings. These 
consisted of three small wooden buildings, one for the transit instrument, one for 
a photographic house and a building for the equatorial. These buildings were 
commenced as soon as an accurate meridian line could be obtained and the 
grounds properly laid off. The completion of the buildings was, however, a very 
tedious matter. In New Zealand nobody is in a hurry. The carpenters who 
worked for us came about nine in the morning, took an hour at noon for lunch 
and stopped work at five in the afternoon, and always took a half holiday on 
Saturday. It was impossible to hurry them much, but the buildings were all 
finished, and all instruments were in adjustment two weeks before the transit. 
From this time on the party took regular practice with the photoheligraph, 
till each man became thoroughly familiar with his duties and could go through 
them in routine order. Photographs of the sun were taken every day and the 
adjustments of the instruments tested by every possible means. During the lat- 
ter part of November a magnificent sunspot appeared, of which manyjgood pho- 
tographs were obtained. 
As the day of transit drew nearer a feverish anxiety began to be felt in 
regard to the weather. Only the last half of the transit was visible in New Zea- 
land, and this gave only about two and one-half hours for effective work. If 
the early morning should be cloudy all would be lost. This anxiety seemed to 
