82 Anniversary Meeting. [Nov. 30, 



should the attempt be made, Her Majesty's Government would be disposed 

 to cooperate with the Society. 



The answers were most favourable ; but still grave doubts were 

 entertained by several of the Committee as to whether it were possible to 

 make the necessary preparations and arrangements with sufficient com- 

 pleteness to secure adequate results. 



After much deliberation it was decided in the affirmative, the Com- 

 mittee's decision being based on the following favouring circumstances : — 

 That confidence in its feasibility was expressed by those members of the 

 Committee who had themselves conducted or accompanied Eclipse Expedi- 

 tions in foreign countries; that two eminent observers, Messrs. Janssen 

 and Tacchini, were already in India and their services available ; that Her 

 Majesty's Government would cooperate by proposing to Parliament a 

 grant in aid of £1000, which would be augmented by another of £300 

 from the Donation-Fund of the Society ; that the Secretary of State for 

 India and the Governor-General of India had promised active cooperation 

 by sending an expedition to the Mcobar Islands, where, as well as in 

 Siam, totality would be visible ; that both the Indian Government and 

 the Admiralty had granted passage in their vessels, and that the Penin- 

 sular and Oriental Company had offered to give passage to the observers 

 and their assistants at greatly reduced rates; that His Majesty the King 

 of Siam would defray all expenses of the party sent to his territories ; 

 and lastly, which perhaps weighed most with the Committee, was Mr. 

 Lockyer's disinterested offer to superintend all the arrangements of 

 observers and instruments, to prepare the instructions for their guidance 

 abroad, and to make all the necessary telegraphic and other communica- 

 tions with India and the Straits Settlements previous to and during the 

 progress of the Expedition. 



As in the case of former Eclipse Expeditions, invitations to take part 

 in the observations were addressed to foreign men of science dis- 

 tinguished for their researches in solar physics ; but Professor Tacchini 

 was the only one who could accept. At the same time Dr. Vogel, of 

 Berlin, a well-known photographer, was asked to assist, and he accom- 

 panied the Expedition. 



A communication was received from M. Dumas, the perpetual Secretary 

 of tho Paris Academy of Sciences, with reference to Dr. Janssen's pro- 

 posed observation of the Eclipse; and instructions were sent to Singa- 

 pore that every assistance should be afforded to that distinguished 

 physicist. 



As a final result of these preliminary arrangements, there wei& two 

 strong parties in position on the morning of the 6th of April, of whose 

 members no less than six were sent out from England. One party, a 

 combination of Italian, Indian, and English, went to Camorta in the 

 Mcobar Islands ; the other, Erench and English, made their way to 

 Chulai Point in Siam. In the first party were Professor Tacchini, 



