TRANSIT OF VENUS EXPEDITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1194, 17 October 1874, Page 4

TRANSIT OF VENUS EXPEDITION.

Complimentary Dinner at Christchurch. [By Electkio Tklegraph.3 A complimentary dinner was given at Christchurch on Thursday night by the members of the Philosophical Institute to the members of the British Transit of Venus Expedition. The ioist of "The guests of the evening" was proposed by Dr Haast. Major Palmer, in responding, after referring to the great importance of careful observations of tho transit of Venus, as affording means of perfecting the luuar theory, and improving the science of navigation, said, "On Friday last we began operations on the ground, and I hope that early next week we shall have our transit instrument and clock erected and adjusted. The other three principal instruments — namely, the altazimuth, the equatorial telescope, and Mr Darwin's particular pet, Photoheliograph — will follow in a few days, so that I hope to bo in full working order in about a fortnight hence. The instruments, though of but moderate size, are the best of thenkind, and give evidence of the remarkable preparation, care, and forethought which the Astronomer- Royal has bestowed upon the English part of the undertaking. For the actual observation of the transit, I am in hopes that we shall have a chain of at least four or five stations, extending from Wellington to Dunedin. Lieutenant Darwin aud I, with the three non-commis-officers of Engineers who have accompanied us, will operate at the main station at Burnham. Lieutenant Crawford will take a transit instrument and telescope to probably Tiinaru or the Waitaki. I am in communication with Mr J. T. Thomson, of Dunedin, with the view of establishing a third station at llockyside, for which he appears to have the necessary instruments. Archdeacon Stock will, I hope, be able to observe the transit at Wellington ; and if I can only find one or two persons in the Colony willing to lend me a pretty good four- inch telescope, I trust to have a fifth station on the Hurunui plains, or elsewhere in that vicinity, and possibly also a sixth station in the immediate neighbourhood of Christcburch. All these stations will be in direct telegraphic communication with me at Burnham, and I again shall connect with the American station, under Professor Peters, probably at Clyde or the Bluff. Then, looking seaward, there will be, according to present arrangements, the Americans at Chatham Islands, the Germans at the Auckland Islands, and the French at Campbell Island ; and lam in hopes that, with the assistance of H.M. ships, we shall be able to undertake chronometric expeditions to these points for accurate determination of differences of longitude. You see, therefore, that by these means full provision will have been made in this region for successful observation of the transit of Venus. The whole group of stations will have been connected together, so that direct comparisons may be made between the various observations ; and, lastly, you will have secured a fundamental longitude for New Zealand, which, it can be no offence to say, is likely to exceed in accuracy your previous absolute determinations,"