New-York tribune., 1874-12-30
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
nrnoprr FROM THE EXPEDITIONS.

JANpRp AT NEw-ZEALAND AND CHATHAM ioLAI>p
sroRNY wEATRKR-~sETTLERs ON CHAThA~
ISLAND. .-.,n,,,,- q,
,,n,1 .v voocAuorAI coaHKsPoNDBNT OF THE TRlBuNEl
ON BOARD THE SwATARA, HOBART iV"N'
rssman,a Nov la-After leaving KerRuelen isano' "e
.r-,vad here Oct, /. As we steamed up inc OerWo"S
River. the southwest entrance of the port, ~e Wee
,.n,nded of the Hudson River. Oar own Hult troo"
the ample and pear, were In bosseA on every N'ne'
and the banks, gently rising TO . hGn eteN"'4Vu' w.
coysred with beautiful vetdure. Flowers anu c'ns
,,ero clsddepiuS TO our sight after crossing t"0 ~
-. Ooc,n or,d soov and hail. At 4 In the AFTER
80 ,ho snchor went down close to the city, ana oc'o
von,ne the hospitacs Of the city and cOrdiA' wsf
a ,s.re extended to all on board. The deVerhoI' mr.
Dn C1nue was absent but the next oay 'ue
,stary. VT Chapman, came on board WIN '"o 49,
ruembers OF the CITY aud Coionlal o''oi"' ~
we're received with due honors'
Cant RAY mond decided TO establish ois parry u Oo
.ovars AT Caupbell Town, city about 30 miles nor'n
and surrounded with mountains, when may VVlncp0'
srrest the rain clouds on the day OF Vne "aue4" =.
valentine yery kindly gave him the use OF MS kfouu
for his transit buildings, aud invited MIN anu Aou'
T,,nap his assistant, to become his Guests' AZ ,
,nwu one Of the squares given TO Prof. hatAnesS
o., ,no es,abisbmeut of his instruments; MS parry
,ool I'm ouarters in the city. and will be wen
~ nv the bosptable Inhabitants ihe ciu"' y, W.
amen 10 US and dinners, parties auu hope' y.
occurrence we're given IN honor OF the nrs' Anei'D
of.wa that
ners OF the scientific corps dinner party ~ ~
., tho Ministry at the Tasmanian C'uo'
verv brilliant and enoya able although arranged ~
short not,ce as the Swatara was soon 10 SAIL ~
have done credit TO q city OF much oioer ero"'u 10 80
T,bart Town. The Hon, Colonial Secretary preelueu'
The Attorney General, members OF the MINISTRY ~
chandler. and most Of the members OF the scen'ho
- ,n,oopipc were present. The ladies OF Hobart
Toun extended cordial greetings 10 their stranger
COnsiDs.
There were two parties OF obserVahon Eet !" to "
thc,r stations. One under DR.. Peters OF h"in'itV"
CoIlege n. y, to 90 to Bluff Hlrhor NewZeaahu 'ne
other under Aststsnt E iwn Smith ot the Coas'
Co.,, m 90 In Chatham Islands. Accordingly, OF the
,oh of oetober the swatara sail, and on the ln
WAS within 100 miles Of Bluh Har9Or Inc "ea'uei nav
lcoket unsettled all day, and when night SET in h
e.ne op and for few hours blew with great Noie"'e.
Toward morning changed 10 the opposite quarter "n
(ev stronger with binding squalls OF ha! anu eno"'
II moderated however, after few hours ana on 'no
10Th the ship anchored safely in port Here Dr. refers
was ioped y Lieut. Bass of tue L. Army his assistant
astronomer who had come by the way Of San Francesca
Die had made reconnaissance OF this portion OF Ne"
2 aand and lad found that Queenstown was wen STU
sted tor the location Of the ScN2 aand party 1he
instruments and outfit we're landed and transported
fart of the way by rail. and the rest by wagons 10 Tie
foot OF the lake running south Queenstown whence
they went to the city by boat.
On the nth the swatara left Bluff Haroor, and orVeo
at Chatham Island the l9'h crossing the leV'h par
Gilel and gaining day. Here, at the head OF "hah
Raroa Bay what is called by some Fort Hut' as'e
was selected for the fifth and last party The spring
being well advanced, this party did not need houses
hut were Ouartered In tents, and after they were
al. up O picturesque little village seemed to have
sprung Up by magic, with the flag OF our Union
boating The pier for the rdhsH
irstruncEt was lnil upon the hill win
a clear vi.w. and before the Swaara
left several sets Of Obscrva Ions OF stars were made 80
little is known o, the Chatham Islands at home that II
r. spoken Of a likely, before the EXurditlOn sarFG'
that guard Of soldiers would required 10 protect the
transit party the cannbals who were supposed to
devour all in:rulcrs Instead Of that, six stalwart Eli
glshnen had met at WnanGarOl tnat day 10 hOld
sheen muster" soon came board, each one grasp
Ing hands with cordial invitation TO come TO their
houses and accept their cheer There fences to
alvdc the different sheep "runs." OF what we would
call sheep farms but each farmer mas his brand burnt
GpOn the lunDs they leave the mothers care
IL often happens that sheep stray from one herd to an-
ether So lust before the shcarn" time each farmer
drives he 0,h iltO IDcOsure all the other
farmers being present and the sheep are examined the
farmers taking the stray sheep back 10 their own fOckS
THIS i. "si"cp muster;' il occdrS once year, and
recues d, there about G0cO0 sheep on tue
isands The natives s"arce and when found are as
Cocle as the sheep they tend Tue owners OF the land,
they have generally leased Their domains TO the En-
Esh eOODsis long leases and when those leases ex-
IRE there Will probably he few LETT TO claim their prop
.rty. There IS a small called Wytangi. on the
southcast side OF the bay but the whole number OF
people on tue island amounts only about 200 Having
rnaGe the observing party comfortable the Swatara left
them OIL the 27th of October and on the 2jh arrived al
Dunedin the largest city In New aiand Port Chamer
is the seaport where, by hourly trains communication
can be bal with Dunedin. only une miles inland on the
river. bu, ABOVE navigation for large vessels. Here
."al war taken aud communication established with
mere Dr. Peters is by telegraph, and then
tie ship LETT for this place. stopping day at Bluff
HarbOr w1erc she pat in in gale Of wind After leav
inV the Bluff heavy weather was experienced all the
oVtI 20 Hobart Town. ~
WIthlh five months the ship has sailed nearly 20 600
miles was not at anchor than ~ days at time,
and successfully carried out tine object OF the mis-
siOu. II her OIcers and men do not deserve little
rest now, they never will deserve 1t. The English,
F.ench, German, and Russian Governments have sent
ship with each party of OhSrrN alton, but here has one
1nf 49,, ep M The ,stance is iaken into consder
tiOD it may rc well sd that the grass has grown
Oh tIe ships bottom. Tile swatara will remain here
Island and Bf Mnrbcr to take up the scentift
parties eit al tLO'e places. She Will aterward return
away flc Ia, maian scientists. During her present
stav U port repairs and overhauling will be DONE The
nee essary repairs attended TO.
The following the officers Of the swatara Com
mander, Capt. Raph&handler; Lieutenant Commander,
a. II. Wright; Executive officer Lieut. George F. VII!
kns Navlgatol, Lieut. Charles H. Stockton Leuten-
8. scnroedcr Dr. + ward Kcrshncr; Paymaster, &.
w. Long; Chlet Engineer, j: ". Gardiner; Assistant
Engineer. II. N Stevenson Psymaster's Clerk, G. W.
Phillips Captains Clerk, Frank ogstOn; BOatswain,
7. Brown.
TWO OF THE THREE OBSERVING PARTIES ENTIRELY
sUCCESsFUL-sINGULAR PHENOMENON DURING
THE TRANSIT.
Three British stations for observing the
transit Of Venus in the Hawaiian Islands, at Kailua
Hawaii; Wamea, Kauai; and at Honolulu, the last