The New York herald., 1870-10-13
The Approaching Eclipse OF tho Sun.

The Approaching Eclipse OF tho Sun.
AT the last session of Congress sum Of
thirty thousand dollars was appropriated for
the observation of the solar eclipse, which is
to be visible from the Mediterranean Sea and
the northern part of Africa on the 22d Of De-
cember, 1870. 1t was ordered that two army
| officers, together with two officers Of the navy
and an assistant from the Washington Naval
Observatory, should be associated with the
American savans who are to go out on this
scientific expedition, of which Professor Pierce,
Chief of the Coast Survey, will have the gen
| eral supervision. By direction of the Secre
tary of War Major Abbott and Captain Ernst
of the Engineer Corps, have been designated
as the army officers to accompany the cxpedi-
tion. Professors Hardness, Hall and East
man, of the Washington Naval Observatory,
will sail on the Cd Of November for Liverpool
thence to Malta, and then TO Syracuse, Sicily,
where they will observe the total eclipse of the
sun. They will carry out complete set of
| Instruments, aud their attention will be partic-
ulary devoted TO the time of apparent contact
of the sun and moon, the physical constitution
of the corona, and to all the phenomena which
the spectroscope, the polariscope, the photo
meter, the photograph, and the best intru-
ments for magnetic and meteorological obser-
vations can reveal. The time of the total
eclipse will be about two p. NJ on the 22d of
December, and if the sky is not hidden by
| clouds observations may be expected that shall
be equally valuable as those which were made
on the great total eclipse of August Z, 1869.
| That eclipse, it will be remembered, was
visible almost everywhere in the United States.
When not obscured by clouds, it was seen
on a regular line running from central point
| in Alaska to the coast of North Carolina.
| Observations made on it along that line and
! from various points all over the country were
| Immediately telegraphed to the HERALD,
which published them on the following day.
Never since the total eclipse which occurred
| February 1S, B. G. 3l02, and which the
Brahmins recorded in their grand astronomical
work, 'The Surya Siddihanta,' has solar
| eclipse been so well observed as that of August
| 7, 1869 1t was the last one of the same class
to be seen during the remaining term of the
every nation made special preparations for
observing it. The novelty and Importance of
some of the results which were obtained have
stimulated them to make even more extensive
preparations for minutely observing the total
| eclipse which is to be visible from the Medi-
terranean and the northern part of Africa.
Besides the party in charge of Professor
Harlness another party will soon sail for
| Gibraltar and Northern Africa, in charge Of
Professor Newcomb, with view of making
| similar observations. European astronomers
will doubtless be sent on the same errand by
their respective governments. The results
which may be obtained will probably throw
much additional light on the mysterious
| problems concerning the sun. Nor can they
fail to prove, like almost all other results of
purely scientific investigation, of ultimate
practical Importance to the dweers on earth.
THE CooLIE TROUBLES IN PERU.-A terri
Bile coolie insurrection occurred in the north
| of Peru, about one hundred and forty miles
| from Lima, early in September, which, from
the account of our correspondent at Lima
whose letter is published elsewhere-brought
to light some most ferocious instincts on the
part Of the mild, almond-eyed heather.
About two thousand OF them, armed with
clubs, knives and axes, murdered the
! families of the owners of the plantation on
which they lived, and then prepared to
sack small village. On the way, however,
they encountered two determined white men,
who, barricading themselves in church,
drove off the bloody minded wretches by q
vigilant and well directed fire of small arms
This defence gave the villagers time to prepare
breastwork, behind which forty of them
repelled the whole Chinese army, which took
to the mountains. The whole district of Peru
where this occurred is now in dread Of
another incursion and at the same time is
deprived of its field laborers, 50 that the crops
are ruined.