.130 
THE ISSUES OF THE LATE ECLIPSE. 
By J. CARPENTER, F.R.A.S., 
Of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. 
T HE eclipse expeditions of December last differed remarkably 
from others that had preceded them. They differed 
favourably as regards the elaborate character of the means and 
schemes of observation, and very unfavourably as regards the 
success of the observers’ intentions. Upon the occasion of the 
first eclipse expedition, that of 1851, every observer went upon 
his own account to see what he could, without foreknowledge 
of what he would see, and without ideas upon the ultimate 
bearing of any observations he might have the good fortune to 
make. How successful the expeditionists were in viewing the 
phenomena may be judged from the fact that nearly a score of 
accounts of observations were given in the “ Astronomische 
Nachrichten,” from astronomers of repute located along the 
line of totality (which crossed Sweden and Norway), while as 
many more were included in a special volume of the “ Transac- 
tions of the Royal Astronomical Society.” In the second expe- 
dition — that for observation of the eclipse of July 18, 1860 — 
there was again a general vagueness of intentions : everyone 
was to observe what he could for himself ; what little organisa- 
tion was called for was discussed on board the Himalaya on 
her way to Spain. And how fortunate the observers were on 
this occasion is known to those who have had to refer to eclipse 
literature, and who have found records of bewildering extent 
of the observations made on that propitious day. How diffe- 
rently matters stood in relation to the last eclipse ! There was 
but one subject of inquiry — the constitution of the corona. 
There were distinct points by which the question was to be 
attacked, and every observer had allotted to him a definite 
part of a well-considered scheme of observations. Instead of 
one man aiming to explain the whole phenomena of an eclipse 
by himself, as on previous occasions, every man was entrusted 
with one link in the chain of inquiry. The gazer was to 
