New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-03

excel the Chinese Tho observing chair runs NS o
serving chair IN the Cambridge domes runs around thee
AN EXCURSION IN THE VICINITY.
We started out one day. in Chinese STYLE to see the
wall about dozen OF going. The universal vehieo
In Northern China is by the Peking cart which Is an
arrangement which deserves to DO recorded in history
shall never forget It, 1t Is nothing but NewEna'and
oxcart with two wheelss without springs, butchers
wagon mounted the axle. There Is no seat i0a sr
self 'Hi in with with what boddnr you take from
Cana hni ana vd for 0roIson With yo While
by dnt OF practice squeeze In SO that ne does nos
break in course OF transit In these vchcIes you ci
but Vet one VINO wishes 20 about in Northern CHINA
must take them. We went first to the Buddhist Tempe
lis has relief sculpture Is the only fine piece OF Chess
carving in existence The whole history OF the life OF
Buddha Is engraved on the wall. Inc temple teg
gildod BAH at the summit You have the same thing
with the Honorary gateway. Anothsr view rev
knows tho age of the trees. The Llama
Buddbsts acknowledge the artAory OF the crane pnnn
TO the Roman Catholics; whiie tho Monaghan Bud
do not acknowledge any head. The grounds OF their
temple lie outside the city, and are very well Kept.
ors You know the Chinese have greatest reverence
their ancestors and take all pains TO ,b
present ruling dynasty. Tine touibs would have been
destroyed long before this only that the present da
already CAUSED the extinction OF the Miugs Tue last
monarch of The Mings committed suicide. and the Mon,
not hot quarrel with the Mngs, and the Mings'
| toInbs consequently remain In Their glory.
These Tombs VI which there are some is OF H. are az
preached by a long avenue some three-quarters OF
nile in length. Here, again, are the statues OF ING
warriors Everything you is the most colossal
scale as far as the magnitude OF The imIg;s are con
cerned We have here most remarHaDle o n,,
caes and other Psychological creatures ranged aions
tnls wall The mountains 5000 or 6,ooO feet
nigh. -, .,,. o-,, -,
October we found the ground covered with snow AS
you approach road becomes impracteaDle aha we
are Obliged to donkeys This wall was pun
some 200 wears before the Christian era aud 1t varies
feet hgh being 80 or 40 feet wide upon ne
end to the other 1t, with gateway tower Later
| departed for the scene OF our operations.
THE TRANSIT OBSERVATIONS.
We waited. Of course, with great anxiety for the
event. Along toward the time Of the transit 1t deve
| oped a very unpleasant habit Of clouding up In
| the daytime. Very frequently about or 10
o'clock clouds would come on, aud II wouii
| be almost impossible to see anything. on the
right before the transit It was very bright ana clear 30
that obtained observations III the evening ana tneh
again in the morning from to o'clock. ana were on
TIE first transit would occur about "a
or O'clock. About o'clock, however
wb,o IVA we're making our last gene clouds be-
gan 10 show themselves. they had done occasionally
before. and before o'clock the clouds were 80 dense
that it became evident thing that the spectre
scope brought from Dartmouth College at Hanover
| would be of very little use 49, w, -. ~
IL was like drawing tooth to give 1t mp We went on
with preparations until just near the ZINE VI tue tran
sit and found that The electrical circuit wnch haI
uever given any trouble before mad declined to work
An investigation afterwOrd showed that was broken
by watercarrier VINO mad driven his walercdrt over
the place the passed, only an men or two
under ground, and cut IL of completely; so mat one
was Obliged to 20 In and note lines wan the chrOnom-
eter. At the time Of The first contact, however, we
were able to see through the clouds better,
really think, than If the clouds had NOT been there,
because the Clouds by cutting OF the intense heat "
the sun prevented "A disturbance OF the atmospheric
Al the OF the rst contact the clouds Increased
in thickness but at The time of the second contact,
half hour later. we got very satisfactory
OF observations. the two observers agreeing within
all of the black drop" The telescope and position
good, aud the light not too strong little eject
gave Iiso to some unexpected phenomena. Within
half after the second contact; We Thought We
that We had stop observations Up TO that time we
had been photograpnnS s'sady, d LAT ra of
OF the time would not but We would
go through the form OF making pictures About haii OF
the plates exposed showed petures on them ana we al
about 80 pictures, OF which some 10 were good Wheh
very erest-fallea party OF astronomer In+,o can
tell you But very s 9Sn and 90[ r. heca O
b me e rioT NV cane lie air was filled win dus
would have Impossible 10 see across the room,
The clear SKY came. and we were enabled 10 phoio-
graph with very satisfactory results
SUMMARY OF RESULTS.
Our observations, compared with those OF the Frenc
and Russians were exceedingly satisfactory We were
Obliged to work under Unfortunate and almost disas-
rou circumstances and yet need not be ashamed Of
our result when compared with those OF other exped
TONS We obtained 100 pictures. OF which dozen or
IS are good nothing few tUlerabe and tho rest
are very good, that arc very wei satisfied The
the southern edge OF sDcria resulted
only in obtaining IL good pictures. IL other places
their fortunes were better or worse. accord
ing to circumstances In the Southern hemishere
Won know Of the results than do, for nave met
very few OF the Some OF them good 9th
bad recently met II member of the eApedi
ton at New-Caledonia, and he said they had
very good fortune indeed. Tor tnev obtained
100 pictures. In coming down the coast from PeAing
GOOD @1 Ga" success indeed # we had stayed at
Yokohama, should probably nave had bet
ter results, for that has proved to be the best.
the outcome the whole. would say. without being
unfair that tue results OF the Pekng party IN oDmDlna
ton with those OF the NewZ aland party,
are more accurate and will be productive OF
parties and when you eIlniue the results OF the ex
pedtons of other nations The Americans have great
reason satisfied with the expeditions OF their Gov
erninent. There DOUBT that the whole outcome
will add accuracy 10 our knowledge OF the suns
distance.
imagine that the results will not be worked up
fully US they ought to be until eight years from now
when the transit Of Venus takes place. That IS a
important transit IL Ii to be yisble all along the
Atlantic BY that time there will be many men
who Will be ablo to do much better work
than has been done during this transit. And there
are q number Of things which will 90 looked into eight
years and when that work Is done aud combined
with present, shall he In condition 10 approx.
very 10 the suns distance. Thanking you
for kind attention, / now close lApplause
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QUESTIONS OF REFORM.
At the regular meeting last evening of the
Municipal Reform Association NJ No. 43 South Washing
ton.sousre n lecture was delivered by Abraham l..