154 
SIR NORMAN LOCKYER AND OTHERS ON THE 
In the first part of the IlejDort I give an account of the general arrangements. The 
second part is Captain Chisholm-Batten’s report on the observations made hy the 
officers and men of H.M.S. “ Melpomene.” 
Professor A. Pedler, F.B.S., gives an account, in the third part, of bis visual 
observations with the grating spectroscope. 
Details of the meteorological observations made at Viziadrug, under the direction 
of Mr. John Eliot, M.A., F.R.S., C.I.E., Meteorological Pteporter to the Govern¬ 
ment of India, have already lieen published."^ 
The Ohservmg Station and Preparations. 
After various incpiiries which I had made respecting the suitafiility of Viziadrug 
for observations of the total eclipse, I informed the Eclipse Committee that I was 
prepared 1o take charge of an expedition to that locality, and it was agreed that 
the observations at this station should be placed in my charge. 
The latitude and longitude of the part of the fort at Viziadrug finally occupied 
were 10 ° 33' 26” N. and 73° 18' 58” E. respectively, and the duration of totality was 
estimated at 127 seconds. 
In connection with the work at this station the Admiralty was asked for a ship 
of war to convey the observers from Colombo to Viziadrug, and to permit the use 
of the ship, if possible, as a base, to enable me to repeat the observations attemjDted 
in Norway in 1896 with the assistance of H.M.S. “Volage,” which ship supplied 
twenty-four assistants during the eclipse and fifty volunteers for general observa¬ 
tions.! As a result of the II 03 M Society’s application, H.M.S. “ Melpomene,” in 
command of Captain Chisholm-Batten, B.N., was told off to join the expedition. 
The expedition, which left England on December 10, consisted of Mr. A. Fowler, 
Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer, and myself, together with the Marquis of Graham, who 
joined as a volunteer. Some little time after reaching Viziadrug Professor 
Pedler, F.B.S., from Calcutta, joined the party, and shortly before the eclipse 
Mr. John Eliot, Meteorological Reporter to the Government of India, joined 
from vSimla. On arrival at Colombo we found H.M.S. “ Melpomene ” waiting there, 
and at once proceeded to the selected spot of observation—Viziadrug. 
During the three days’ voyage to our station a call for volunteers was made by 
Captain Batten, and 120 came forward. Lectures and demonstrations were there¬ 
fore at once commenced by Lieutenants Blackett, Colbeck, and Dugmore, Second 
Engineer Mountifield, and mj^self to the several parties of men who had under¬ 
taken to perform special pieces of work. Twenty-two separate groups of observers 
were formed. On our arrival at Viziadrug we were received verv kiudlv bv 
Mr. Bomanji, the Collector of Ratnagiri, and an Overseer of the Public Morks 
* ‘ Indian Meteorological Memoirs,’ vol. 11, Part I. Calcutta, 1899. 
t ‘Phil. Trans.,’ A, vol. 190 (1897), pp. 1-21. 
