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CAPTAIN W. DE W. ABNEY ON THE TOTAL ECLIPSE 
Appendix I. 
Government Eclipse Expedition, 1883. 
Instructions to Observers. 
1. In case of any difficulty at any port, either on going out or coining home, 
Mr. Lawrance to hand Foreign Office letter herewith to the British Consul at that 
port, and ask his assistance. 
2. On joining the American party, Mr. Lawrance and Mr. Woods to report 
themselves to the astronomer in charge of the expedition, and to hand him the accom¬ 
panying letter, taking his advice and following his instructions with reference to the 
transference of the instruments to the United States ship of war. 
3. On arriving at the place of observation, the instruments to be erected on a site 
to be chosen by the American astronomer in charge. 
4. Packing cases to be re-closed up as far as possible, and to be protected from 
damage and the weather. Care to be taken not to damage tin cases. 
5. The gratings to be kept together, and special precautions to be taken with regard 
to them, as also with the silvering of the siderostat mirrors. Mr. Lawrance to give 
special attention to this point. 
6. For as many days as possible before the eclipse all the instruments to be arranged 
as during the eclipse, and from 11.23 a.m., local mean time, to 11.48 a.m., local mean 
time, complete rehearsals of all the observations intended to be made during the 
eclipse to be most rigidly carried out. 
7. A statement of the days on which these rehearsals have been made to be given 
in the report of the operations. 
8. If the aforesaid times, derived from Mr. Hind, do not agree with the times 
determined by the American astronomers, the instructions of the astronomer in charge 
are to be taken. 
9. Instruments to be focussed and trial plates taken, if possible, at least three days 
before totality. These trial plates to be carefully preserved. 
10. The rehearsal on the day before the eclipse should be a complete rehearsal with 
photographic plates, exactly as during the eclipse itself; and these plates to be 
developed at once, and brought home. 
11. The observers should confer with the American astronomer in charge regarding 
time signals before and after totality. 
12. If additional observing power can be obtained from the American party, the 
additional observers to be trained to obtain photographs with the photoheliographs, 
and, if desirable, the time table for that instrument to be handed over to them, they 
being placed in entire charge of that part of the operations. 
