February 27, 1885.] 



SCIENCE. 



165 



return was made from every quarter-point of the 

 compass several times (my records show this more 

 accurately). My other observations of similar charac- 

 ter were at camp on Terror Bay, and at Reindeer Camp 

 on Simpson's Straits. All of these points are some- 

 where between 99° and 100° west longitude; and I 

 firmly believe the observations sufficiently accurate to 

 say, in no rough way, that in 1879 the north magnetic 

 pole was between these two meridians, with its lati- 

 tude quite undetermined. 



In the fall of 1880 I published a small note about 

 this interesting point, in which the above appeared, 

 and also a few calculations regarding the westward 

 rate of progress, which I cannot give from memory. 

 I think that the thermometric observations close to 

 this district, straggling and interrupted though they 

 were, go far to prove that the magnetic pole, and 

 pole of minimum depression, are identical, or nearly 

 so. Fred'k Schwatka. 



New- York City, Feb. 9. 



Total eclipse of the sun in August, 1886. 



In the year 1886, Aug. 28-29, will occur an eclipse 

 of the sun, whose maximum duration of totality is over 

 six minutes of time. Opportunities like these for 

 the study of solar physics are sufficiently rare for 

 astronomers to be always eager to improve them 

 whenever it is deemed practicable. Although the 

 circumstances of this eclipse are found upon exam- 

 ination to be beset with peculiar difficulties, still it 

 may not be amiss to make a statement of them, that 

 the possibilities of its observation may be clearly 

 understood. 



In this eclipse the axis of the moon's shadow, soon 

 after touching the earth, passes very near or through 

 the following islands, — Los Roques, Orchilla, Blan- 

 quilla, Grenada, and Cariacoa, — which are some of 

 the Windward Islands which skirt the northern 

 coast of South America. From this point the shadow 

 sweeps across the broad Atlantic, and touches no 

 land until it reaches the African coast at Benguela, 

 which place lies almost exactly on the central line. 



By examination of the chart of this eclipse, pub- 

 lished by the 'American ephemeris,' it will be seen 

 that the totality will occur only about half an hour 

 after sunrise at the most favorable station in the 

 West Indies, with a duration of totality of about 

 three and a half minutes. On the African coast the 

 duration of totality is about four and a half minutes, 

 and the altitude of the sun is amply sufficient for 

 favorable observation. 



Benguela is about four hundred miles south of the 

 mouth of the Kongo, and about two hundred miles 

 south of the mouth of the Koanza. The climate of 

 the lowlands bordering the coast near Benguela is 

 fatally unhealthy for strangers, making it compul- 

 sory, on the score of prudence, for an observing party 

 to penetrate the interior sufficiently to attain the 

 mountainous highlands which lie not far inland. 



The American board of commissioners for foreign 

 missions has for some three years occupied two 

 mission-stations in this region; viz., Bailundu, about 

 a hundred and thirty miles eastward from Benguela, 

 and Bihe, about seventy miles south-east from Bai- 

 lundu. Through the courtesy of Rev. Judson Smith, 

 D.D., secretary of the American board, and Mr. 

 Frederick A. Walter, secretary of this west-central 

 African mission, I have received definite statements 

 of some of the precautions necessary, and some of 

 the difficulties to be encountered by an observing 

 party locating in this region. I will give in brief 

 the points with which Mr. Walter favors us. 



Dangers to the person from savages are not to he 

 apprehended. The climate of Bailundu and vicinity 

 is exceedingly salubrious. During a residence of 

 nearly three years, Mr. Walter and his family have 

 experienced no illness to be ascribed directly to the 

 climate, but in every case to overwork, over-ex- 

 posure to the sun, or want of proper food. 



The difficulties in reference to transportation are 

 considerable. Transportation is done entirely by 

 men: wagons and animals cannot be used. The 

 gross weight for a carrier is from sixty-five to seventy 

 pounds: commonly it does not exceed fifty-eight 

 pounds. Packages, either bales or boxes, should be 

 of about the following dimensions: fourteen inches 

 by nine inches by thirty inches, or, if more conven- 

 ient, sixteen inches by ten inches by twenty-four 

 inches. No single package should exceed eighteen 

 inches in width by ten inches in depth. Pieces not 

 exceeding sixty pounds in weight, though eight or 

 ten feet long, can be carried by a single carrier. 



As to means of subsistence, an observing party 

 must bring all their supplies with them, as it is essen- 

 tial to the health of new-comers that they should live 

 on food to which they are accustomed. The time 

 required for a round trip of a caravan from Bailundu 

 to Benguela may be stated as one month to six weeks. 



Mr. Walter states that the chances for clear sky at 

 the time of the eclipse are very favorable. 



It may be stated that the land rises very abruptly 

 as one leaves the coast from Benguela, and in a 

 few miles attains a very considerable altitude, and 

 throughout these highlands the climate is very health- 

 ful. A. N. Skinner. 



A simple calendar reform. 



Reform in the standard of daily time having now 

 been happily accomplished, to the great convenience 

 of the public, another simple reform in the monthly 

 calendar remains desirable, which would greatly 

 simplify commercial calculations, and computations 

 depending on the calendar. In our present calendar 

 the disturbing elements which cause inconvenience 

 are connected with the month of February, which at 

 once is shorter than the average month, and also dis- 

 turbs the revolution of the Dominical letters by the 

 addition of the intercalary day in the leap-years. 

 From this method of inserting the intercalary day in 

 the midst of the year, arises the necessity of having 

 two Dominical letters in the leap-years, and of dis- 

 tinguishing the two unequal parts of such years in all 

 calendar computations. 



Now, it is evident, that, if the intercalary day were 

 inserted at the end of the year, the revolution of the 

 Dominical letters would go on undisturbed, and we 

 should never have more than one in any year. But 

 as December already has thirty-one days, to obviate 

 the inequality of months, one day should be taken 

 from it, and one from some other month of thirty- 

 one days, say July, and both be added to February. 

 Thus an equality would be established, as nearly as 

 possible, by an alternation of months of thirty and 

 thirty-one days each, with the least possible alteration 

 of the existing calendar. In each half-year, any two 

 successive months (with the exception of November 

 and December in ordinary years) would have sixty- 

 one days, and each quarter not less than ninety-one, 

 nor more than ninety-two days. 



As it is now, the first two months have usually 

 only fifty-nine days, while July and August have 

 sixty-two ; the first quarter has ordinarily only ninety 

 days, while the third and fourth quarters have each 

 ninety-two days. The new arrangement would estab- 

 lish a simplicity and symmetry in the calendar, which 



