The New York herald., 1871-12-14

The photographs OF the corona obtained are
reported as perfect and the result must be conciu-
eive OF several points regarded by modern astrOns
omers as needing mole thorough demonstration.
Report Of the Observers.
LONDON, Dec. l3 1871.
telegram from Jafra reports that most satisfacs
tory and interesting observations were taken Of the
eclipse OF the sun on Monday.
The weather was splendid.
Sailing of tho British ExpeditiOn-Four TOnA
Weight of Instruments Shipped.
The members or the British governs ment expedt-
ton which was despatched for tho observation Of
this eclipse OF the sun, under charge oil Mr.. Lock-
yer, sailed from Southampton In rhe steamship
Mirzapore, for diferenu stations In the north Of
Ceylon, on the 26th day Of last october.
They were aware that the term OF total 0bscuratiOn
ofthe sun would endure only two minutes and half.
ana were, therefore. fully prepared to note the
grand event. The arrangements were all COM
pleted with great care, and, owing to the courtesy
OF the Peninsular aud Oriental Company's officers,
verythmg-even to the smallest Leyden Jars-wera
shipped safely, although the instruments. weighing
four tons oil OF them costly and delicate only arrived
at the port during the same morning. The observers
undertook o long aud arduUus Journey 10 view the
phenomena OF total eclipse. few clouds
Yelling for tnree minutes the place OF the
all the and trouble oil the journey to the Indian
seas, the skill or Mr.. Lockyer and his colleagues
and the perfection OF the instruments. IL argues no
slight desire to Increase our knowledge-no small
zeal In the cause 0i sclence--tnar 80 much should
have been done and risked where, after all, even
with all the circumstances favorable, the results
may not be such as ASTRONOMERS hoped TO obtain.
British Anticipati0ns.
After the departure OF the expedition an English
writer indulged In the following antcipatory com-
ments on the undertaking.
Let it be noted-in harness not only TO Mr.. Lock-
yer and the expedition under MS CHARGE but also 10
India, Java and Northern Aus,ral,a-that the task
set before the observers Of the approaching eclipse
Is altogether more difficult than any whicn mas
hitherto been attempted. II would not bc difliculs
10 repeat the observations made during the Ameri-
eclipse OF 1870 but 10 do tins would be 10 do moth
ing Something new must De learned or the expe.
Aud TO discover something new alter 60 man; many
skllIul observers nave been ut work In the same
q single moment IN the progress OF totally which
has not been already utilized Dy others Tie instant
when the last ray OF direct sunlight Is Just 0blIteratel
has been employed by Professor Young, OF Ame-
rca. 10 such purpose as TO reveal the existence or
the vapors Of our Iamar metals replace the gases
which IN our air form the breath oi life. From tnat
first instant onwards until the moment when the
astronomers call the corona mas Deen studied and
anayzed in sucn sort that one would imagine that
nothing new could be learned respecting 10. feC
our expedtonists have set forth with the pur-
pose OF learning something new, ana the
encourage tlcm TO strenuous exer.ion they have
this 10 consider, that Il they Iai many months
must pass before astronomers have another oppor-
tunity to institute such researches they pro.
pose TO make. 1t IS quite certain that shall not
nave TO call the attention OF our readers 10 any
eclipse expeditions either III 1872 or 1878. la tho
latter year, indeed, there will be to.al solar
so, is72, is such that astronomer Is likely
10 take the trouble TO witness IL. IL i5 so barely
total that 1t actually begins and ends on tho eartn
as an annular one the moon at those times nos
fully hiding the sun even on the line OF central
X GS Y ss eat a q The s M D
fairly hidden and there oniy Tor afcw seconds Not
untn April IT, ls1t, VIII there DO an eclipse worth
enti1c progress an interval oil twenty-eight m0ntns
seems like anage. Our observers then In lndia'and
Ccylon, .as well as the continental astronomers In
Java, and the colonial astronomers IN North Aus.
trala, are bound TO exert themselves most dill
gently, so that astronomers may not want eclipse
pabulum during that lons interval.
AMERICAN AND OTHER PAST RESEARCHES.
II is easy to Indicate the position 10 which past
researches have brought the studeat OF that won
derfu crown OF light which Is seen around the
found that this object is in great part SELF luminous
and that Its light In some respects resembles IN
prevailed as to the extension OF this seIi-lumnous
solar glory. some thought that II did not extend
SUMS surface while others believed that It's ex,
tension was to % be measured by hundreds Of
wers 'ss ana so@e
thing was learned as to the extent OF
@e DARK % IN he Sercna r sn ws seem naSs Dns
graphed in Spain by an American and also In Sicily
by an Engslman. These photographs. enlarged to
q common scale, were submitted to Sir J0nn
Hersche, and by MIN pronounced decisive as to tho
extra terrestrial character OF radlatcd corona
tending at least as far from the sun as the DounGa-
ries Of this gap.
on such matter Herschel's opinion-olways
autnoritative-ma be regarded as all but final.
The existence OF real solar appendage reaching at
least million miles from the SUMS surface,
having thus ibecn demonstrated, II remained
for .he present observers TO determine how
this strange appeulage IS shaped, and
how constituted They had TO distinguish it
from all that light with which thus appendagc itself
fills our atmosphere during the progress OF total
been deceived by the strange optical effects pro-
duced during tho passage OF the moons vass
shadow through the air above and around them.
At that time false rays appear which the mex
perlcnced TOO readily conlOund with the trno
coronal ueams There Is also a sembance or
motion even among those rays which are really
fixed. everything has been new and startling, and
no slight mental effort required To ix the thoughts
on that sole feature whicn the observer had under
taken to examine, wnen so much Il what ID caklng
place around tends 10 distract his attention.
THE PHOTOGRAPH CAMERA AND ITS USE.
Fortunately an instrument was used which re-
corded the features OF The eclipse without being IN
any way affected by the distractions we have men,
toned. The tclescopist may fan 10 make useful OBJ
servations. or he may be so missed as TO make false
guish between the light OF the and that OF the
Illuminated air; the draughtslnan mag produce
some OF those marvellous pictures OH which so much
stress has lately been laid; but the Photographic
camera Will do its work uninoved by the appalling
aspect of the surrounding scene Whatever the
Photographic pictures may SHOW, we are made
ton for q favorIte theory has Influenced
the result. Much OF the Information oOtalheu ~
other means will be greatly increased u vsse sne
ilgnt OF such such quality from certain part
OF the corona the photograph win show What was
the aspect OF that particular portion II draughts
IN mo lee