The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-12-12

point Of life, and prove how wonderfully and ~feSEfuliy
be is made, and though surrounded with such base
conditions, to prove also the Presnineuce in Gods
universe Of the soul Of q man.
CUI BoSor
Now the use Of all this because besides the British
Expedition, part Of which has visited rs, the Aneri-
can Government has fitted on; an expedition at q cost
Of $4,000. The German and Russian Empires,
the French Republic. and the KiogdOms Of Italy and
Holland have all fitted cut expeditions on = liberal
SCALE and besides these . very important private one
by Lord Lindsay at the island Of MAuridus, 50 that
about $50 scientific men have gone to remote points
Of the earth, to spend about one million Of dollars to
observe this phenomenon,-and eui bono. For the
correction Of longitude and the improvement Of nav
igation, some one says; TO which an old salt replies
"Why, l can sail q ship to 9 buoy in mid ocean, and
what is the use Of any more nicely, and trying to
determine longitude within the exactitude Of inches ,"
True. my practical friend, but we want the exactitude
Of truth 10 all things. We want 9 perfect and not a
partial salvation. We know the relative dimensions
Of the different bodies Of the solar system, but we do
not know the scale upon which the plan of our sys-
TEN is framed, and when We can determine accurately
the distance Of the sun from the earth and between
any two planetary orbs, (Which We do not yet knoW,)
we will then know the scale Of dimension upon which
the solar system has been framed. Various methods
have been devised, but the one which makes use Of q
transit of Venus is considered the most accurate.
When this scale is known which embraces oscillations
Of thousands Of millions Of miles, then we viii ex-
pand and embrace the universe unto the farthest
verge to which our finite powers can 60; but still
reach out and onward, until the touch Of Infnity
shall lead our souls beyond unto everlasting light,
and perfect truth.
THE CONCLUSION.
Rut let ug fnrl aur ninion of fancy and raEnrn To
the astronomical buts. We got the time Of the
planet and the sun, but we also wanted their
pictures. We thought we had a capital day for a
solar sitting ; but 1t was in fact too fine. Too much
glare and irradiation, and too much atmospheric
disturbance, especially in the wooden huts, so that
the photographs Of the planet taken with every
vigilance and care by Lieutent Ramsden, repre-
sented 1t triangular, square, and ~eliptical, and
everything but circular, and the value of the
pictures depended upon the accurate form of the
orb. The famous Jansen revolving slide unfortu-
nately failed on account OF the difficulty of pointing.
But excepting this disturbance of the photohelio-
graph, all the observations of the astronomers at
the Honolulu station were eminently satisfactory.
The astronomical party ut Waimea, Kauai, had also
an excellant opportunity for observing the transit;
but We regret to say, that Professor Forbes, and
Mr.. Barnacle at Kalua, Hawaii, should have been
disappointed Dy Il ClOuQ al U cElIlCal phase OF
the contacts. But yet they were enabled to make
many observations of value. The whole observa-
ton of the British expedition to these islands must
be regarded as very successful and the result
must reflect honor upon the great and enlightened
Government that provided for the expedition
upon the eminent astronomer Royal, Sir George
Airy, who planned it; upon the Chief Astronomer
Capt. G. L. Tupman, who so faithfully and minute
ly managed all its details; and upon all his assist
ants who have faithfully cooperated with him.
This community rejoices in the result, not only on
account of the interest felt in the subject from a
scientific point of view; but also on account of the
high personal appreciation entertained for the
corps of astronomers as gentlemen visiting our
shores.
OUR DOMESTIC ASTRONOMERS.
We must not close our report without q word or
two in relation to our astronomers in the isles. Mr..
C. J. Lyons, Government Surveyor, who is one Of our
best mathematician, and has devoted much atten-
ton to astronomy, was an observer of the transit at
Aliiolani House. Also Captain Daniel Smith, who
calculates our tables Of the suns time and the moons
phases, and Mr.. David Flitner. who has had some
considerable experience in. celestial observations,
were observers Of the transit at waikiki, as was Mr..
FyS. Pratt, another amateur, and their several timesG
Of the observation OF internal contact, were as fol-
lows: J
/ C. ]. Lyons, Oh. Bonn. 53s. 4
Captain D. Smith, Oh. Bonn. 54'9s.
d. N. Flitner, Oh. 95m. 68s.
F. S. Pratt, Oh. Bonn. OBS.
The time is that shown by Mr.. Flitner's sstronom-
ical clock, and between the mean of the times of
these gentlemen, and that of the astronomers at the
observatory, there is we understand little or no diff
ference.
NorE.-we obtain many of the above statements
in respect to transit history from a very interesting,
clear and concise treatise by Professor George Forbes,
published in the 4" Nature Series, and entitled
The Transit Of Venus"
In addition to these observations, 120 micrometer
measures were made by Mr.. Michel and Captain
Tupman, from each one of which the time of contact
can be deduced.
SAIEI