xx President's Address 



and excitement have been manifested among astronomers of 

 all nations in the preparations for the great event. The last 

 occurrence of this phenomenon was in ] 769, when Captain 

 Cook commanded an expedition to the south seas for the 

 purpose of observing it, and it was while on this expedition, 

 and after observing the transit of Venus, he discovered the 

 east coast of Australia, and took possession of it in the 

 name of Great Britain, and named it New South Wales. 

 One hundred and four years have elapsed since. Two 

 transits of Yenus will now come together with an interval of 

 only eight years ; the first takes place on December 8th, 

 1874, the second on December 6th, 1882, but no other will 

 happen till June 7th, 2004. Nearly every country in the 

 world will take part in observing the phenomenon, and as 

 the portion of the earth over which it will be usefully 

 visible is limited to the Eastern hemisphere, the undertaking 

 will in most cases involve costly expeditions. There seems, 

 however, to have been but one consideration with all, to do 

 the best possible for so important a determination ; it is a 

 grand work in which all nations of the earth are allied, and 

 in which the cost has scarce been counted. 



It would be out of place on such an occasion as this to 

 give any detailed description of the various. observations that 

 it will be requisite to make, of the data to be determined, or 

 of the various methods suggested for the determination, but 

 as many public papers and periodicals have teemed with 

 discussions on some moot points concerning the observing 

 stations to be selected, it may be permissible to briefly refer 

 to this part of the subject, more especially as Australia 

 has been named as not unlikely to undertake a duty which 

 by some is considered of paramount importance, and which 

 there appears a possibility of being left undone. 



For brevity's sake it may be stated then, one great desi- 

 deratum in observing the transit of Yenus is to get two 



