TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF JULY 18, 1860. 
335 
make photographic experiments in the manner which I have indicated, as offering a 
greater probabihty of at least a partial success, so that the chances of obtaining pictures 
might be multiplied. With this object, I circulated as rapidly as I could my Report to 
the British Association on “ Celestial Photography,” which passed through the press 
in May 1860, and of which copies were extensively sent both to English and foreign 
astronomers at the latter end of May and the beginning of June. 
I have now in this narrative to go back some months earlier than the period just 
alluded to, in order to connect it with the Himalaya Expedition, an expedition origi- 
nating solely with, and organized by, the Astronomer Royal. When the year 1859 was 
drawing to a close, and I was turning my thoughts to the preparation which would be 
required for July 1860, Mr. Aiet mentioned that, if I had any intention of observing 
the eclipse, he might possibly be in a position to afford me some facilities for so doing, 
as he had it in contemplation to make an application to the Admiralty for a ship to 
convey intending observers to Spain, in the event of a sufficient number of astronomers 
expressing their willingness to join the expedition which he intended to organize. I 
expressed the satisfaction I felt in learning that he, the official head of astronomy in 
England, was willing to take the matter in hand, because I felt persuaded that, under 
his general direction, the expedition would prove a successful one ; and I at once volun- 
teered to form one of his party. 
It was intimated to me that, in the event of my taking charge of the Kew heliograph, 
I should not be expected to entail upon myself the expenses of fitting it up for the 
object contemplated, or the personal expenses of the assistants who might accompany 
it, it having been from the first intended, that a grant from the Government Fund should 
be asked for to defray these charges. When, therefore, I had finally decided on taking 
charge of the instrument, I was requested to propose such a sum as I thought fully 
adequate to the purpose, and I named £150, which was granted. The entire expenses 
of the photographic expedition amounted to more than three times that sum, the balance 
being defrayed by myself. 
The actual preparations were commenced at the latter end of January 1860, first of 
all by Mr. Beckley, the mechanical assistant of the Kew Observatory, and were con- 
tinued, so far as his other occupations would permit, until the month of June; but, in 
spite of every exertion on his part, so much remained to be done, that in June I engaged 
Mr. Reynolds (now my private photographic assistant) to aid in completing the arrange- 
ments. My party, besides myself, was, after a few changes, thus finally constituted : — 
Mr. Beckley, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Downes, and Mr. E. Beck. 
Among the preparations to be made was a stand for the telescope, the cast-iron 
pedestal of the Kew heliograph being too heavy for convenient transport. It was 
necessary, moreover, to make some contrivance for supporting the frame of the polar 
axis in a position adapted to certain limits of latitude, within which I might fix my 
station ; and it was thought that this could be best arranged by making a new cast-iron 
pedestal composed of several pieces which took apart for the convenience of carriage 
* This iron stand has been left in situ, and thus marks the precise locality of my observatory. 
2 z 2 
