New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-22
THETRANSIT AT KERGUELEN.
Full PARTICULARS AT LAST.


OBSERVED AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN
,ur after PART OF THE TRANSIT, But SEW
yp,r PICTURES TAKEN-HARD WORK UNDER
r,rPrcr-I rrEs-GooD COLLECTIONS IN NATURAL
HISTORY.
fraos AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRIBUNEl
CAPE Town. South Africa Feb. s-The MonOnga-
bela arrived in Cape Town the morning of Satur-
day Feb g. after very pleasant trip from the ker-
guelen Islands with the members of the transit
party on board. All in good health snd spirits
md n'uch pleased by the results of their observa-
tons You will have heard Of course by telegraph, be-
fore this can reach you that the first contact was OBJ
served and photographed accurately could have
been wished and that, although the latter part Of
the transit was Obscured by clouds. occasional pho
toeraphs were taken. and the general result " Is
very satisfactory TO all parties concerned. Beside
the photographs and records of the astronomical
work there is a very considerable collection repre-
sentng the natural history Of the island of especial
scientific interest on account of its isolated position
You know of course that it was found impossible
70 land the Crozet party because of the stormy
weather and lack Of any harbor on the coast
Nor was there any time 20 be wasted at Kergnelen
Coal was running short. and four other parties were
growing anxious as TO their own chances before the
landing Of the KerGuelen party and stores had been
begun. On Thursday, Sept O. site was selected near
Moroy Point in ROYAL Sound. and by Sunday morn
tOllOwlDg mouse nlu Oeen IOoitu III duV
foored and all the baggage. instruments, pro-
visions. and personnel had been landed. On Sunday
afternoon the Swatara sailed away, firing a salute
and dipping her coors in response to the rifie-shOot
ing and fag-raisnC from the shore
The house, 39Xl9 feet, was built on terrace, PEI
haps 200 feet up the very steep face of hill fronting
on the sound. Although it had been rooted. 1t was
bv no means waterproof. were there any par
ttions or sleeping accommodations, or tables, or
shelves or any of the may luxurles which after
ward grew mp and made fe luxurious, compare
lively speaking before it hat to be given up TOR the
weakening efeminacies of civilization.
There were very heavy loads to bring mp from be-
low. transit. and Photographic, and equatorial
houses 70 build piers to establish with minuteness
of accuracy and dearth of mechanical appliances
Speaking well for the high appreciation IN which
the Commission held the ingenuity Of the astrOno-
mers-and constant snow. rain and gales
20 work in. Notwithstanding all apparent
encouragement the time passed rapidly,
very pleasantly, and, we hope, probably. The
houses were all up and the instruments III position
before the end of October. By the first week in
November a very comfortable hut had been com
plecd for the natural history work and the regular
weekly sun-rhotOgraphs had been begun. On Sun
day Oct. Il. whaebOat arrived from the anchorage
Ghree-lsland Harbor with two officers belonging to
the English party bringing a mail for US from
Cape Town and the news of the arrival of both the
Voltage and the Supply, the two ships detailed to
accompany their observers at this station. with
the aid of the ships companies they had soon built
village of huts and houses, not more than u or IA
miles away. Father Perry who is at the head Of
this party and Father SItgreaves, his assistant. are
both from The Magnetic Observatory at Stonyhurst.
and have already had experience in distant asrro-
nomical observing expeditions With these excep-
tions and that Rev Mr. Eaton. their naturalist,
the English party is entirely made up of naval OIL
GERS Their original intention was to land at
Christmas Harbor at the northern end of the island,
leaving the coast TO the Germans and the south
10 the Americans. But the unfavorable report of
Capt. Mares of the Challenger caused them to
change their intention and to settle IN Royal Sound
not far from our station. The Englshmen were
pleasant neighbors, although naturally enough
there was so much TO be done by both parties that
there not much visiting.
On the Goth IF November, the n. G. corvette Ca
zelle anchored off our hill, bringing newspapers
and another mail from Cape Town. On board were
Dr. BHrgen. the chief astronomer to the German
party, and Drs. Naumann and Huesker. surgeons
and naturaists to the expedition. The Gazelle
is on special duty similar to that of the Chal-
Ienger and is provided with a donkey engine and
the apparatus for deep-sea dredging. She re-
mains with the transit party as long as they re-
CURE assistance which they expect will be for at
least six weeks after the transit itself We had
opportunity for seeing their arrangements for the
transit not having any ship at our command, as
had the other parties. But the provisions for Nat
ural History observations were very unusu-
ally complete and must lead 20 impOr-
tant results. On the gun-deck there Is
a large ROOM given up entirely TO the naturaists.
largely | believe, by favor of DR. Btrgen. to whom
II was originally assigned. There saw the results
of deep-sea dTedgings up to $500 fathoms good
representation of the botany Of the islands.
aud many barrels of seals and sea-elephants, their
skins and their skeletons. DR.. Btrgen compared
his time with Capt. Ryan and Mr. Train. and was
TO have started next day to the English station-was
TO have but the usual gale interviewed, and the Ga
zee lay at anchor in plain sight for days longer
before she finally sailed On the 10th November the
difference of longitude between station and the
English had been sgnaled by flashing gunpowder,
on very windy and tOerably cold night, and there
was no further communication besides brief visit
from the supply from that time to the day of the
transit.
The weather was as unfavorabls throughout as
possible. Only II days were recorded as clear IN
the meteorological register, and snow, hail or rain
marked four days out of five. Furious gales were
TO be expected and did not dsappont expects-
ton. For "A hours previous 70 the transit the
barometer fen steadily. There wa little hope
of good result up to the very morning |
itself. since gay after day had passed in clouds
and storms But the morning of the 9th dawned
clear as could be wished. A suspicious Indian Sum-
merry haze hung the water and filtered through
the air. but the sun was clearly visible Capt Ryan
and Mr.. Train were stationed in the equatorial |
house the former at the large telescope and the lat
ter marking time, while also observing with a