THE ECLIPSE EXPEDITIONS. 
39 
letters (in the first convenient chink) adopted by Mrs. Tadgers’s 
old woman-of-all-work. Nearly fifty days elapsed, during which 
no reply whatever was received ; and then a reply came which 
implied — as far as this wrong department was concerned — a 
flat refusal. 
If this result had been made public at once, it is probable, or 
rather, it is certain from what actually followed, that the 
greater part of the mischief might have been remedied. But 
the old fear of giving offence to those in power appears to have 
operated, and only gradually, and in an unofficial manner, the 
public learned that (as it seemed) Government had withdrawn 
the light of its countenance from the science of our day. Then 
the natural result followed. The public press — the Daily News 
leading the way — appealed loudly against the supposed decision 
of the Government. To the public press, and to the public 
press alone, it was owing that Government changed their mind, 
if even it was not through the public press alone that Govern- 
ment first really heard what was required of it. Then one 
would have supposed that the committee of scientific men ap- 
pointed to deal with the matter would have sent in appeal 
after appeal until the required assistance was obtained. But 
something quite different took place. Those who managed the 
committee waited until Government itself intimated its readi- 
ness to consider the proposals of astronomers. Even then the 
committee were in no haste to act. “ As quickly as their con- 
stitution permitted,” to use the euphemistic expressions of the 
Astronomer Boyal, or, in other words, after wasting a fortnight 
of most valuable time, they sent in a new application ; and 
this they did so gently that when, a week later, Mr. Lockyer 
applied directly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he found 
Mr. Lowe in complete ignorance that anything was wanted 
from the Government. 
It was now the second week in November ; the eclipse some 
six weeks off. The sum of two thousand pounds and the means 
of transport had been promised by the Government, but it seemed 
likely that the grant would be of little use, since so short a 
period remained for organisation. Six months had dwindled 
down to six weeks. Not only had the actual work of organisa- 
tion been thus left to be completed in a space of time alto- 
gether inadequate, but those who had volunteered to join the 
expedition, and who had all this time been in doubt whether 
their services would be required or not, had now little time left 
to prepare themselves for the work they desired to perform.* 
* I will mention one instance out of many tliat I know of to illustrate the 
mischievous effects of the delay. Mr. W. H. H. Hudson, M.A., a Fellow of 
St. John’s, and a very skilful mathematician, had proposed to study the 
