Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-22


/ shadlngs extending from TO y. These
constitute the first proper view Of the
round, dark spot called the Main Sea,
and which schiaparelli had christened by
the name Of Moeris Lacus. 1t is posi-
bic that this lake was triple in 1862
but what is certain, is that in any case.
Il appeared large and was situated al
most midway between the two Syrtes,
and very near the centre of the semi
circular Coast Of Libya.
in 1854 the 'cagle-eyed' Dawes con-
tinued the era so brilliantly inaugurated
by Lockyer in 1867 furnishing rs with
new set OF first-class drawings OF the
planet. Dawes confirms his predecessors
work, but shows Libya as pcne-
trating deeply into the Hourglass Sea,
whose breadth is very much reduced in
consequence; its outer edge IS a little
shaded, while Moeris Lacus. represented
as Of very large size, is lying, as in 1862,
midway between the two Syrtes.
II subioln two other views taken during
the same apparition Of the planet, the
first by Kaiser, showing the NilosyrtlS
quite severed from the Major Syrus-a
phenomenon seen again by the Rev. j.
IL. Il. Phillips, of YeOvil (SomerseD, on
January 18th Of the present year; the
second by Won FranZenau, giving us an
unusual visibility of the dusky land
Oenotria, not unlike the appearance noted
by the writer in September, 1885.
Another figure shows remarkable
and almost unique view of the Kaiser Sea,
which is shown as quite separated from
the Mare to the south by bright bridge
uniting Libya to Hammonis Cornu
M. Terby. in 1873, gives a view of one
of the bridges discovered by the Phar-
sonstOwn observers in 1862, and stretch
ing from Libya to Hellas.
In the same year, 1873, NJ. Flam
marion made a sketch of this region
which shows very neatly that at that
time the Hourglass Sea was quite as
narrow as it was ten years previously
and that the general configuration of its
eastern shores had undergone scarcely
any change since the oppositions OF 1852
and 1864.
During the famous opposition Of 1877
the Syrtis Major was smaller and mar
rover than perhaps it ever was since ifs
discovery by Huyghens. This shrinking
was entirely due to the invasion of ruddy
material from Libya- In October. 1871,
the Syrtis appeared to end almost at the
latitude OF MOers Lacus. The accompany
ing sketch by Schiaparelli will make thcss
descriptions plain. Libya penetrated
deeply into the greyish area of the sea,
forming a graceful curve. extending right
down 10 the sharply-pointed Osridis Pro
montOr.um, in 2S degrees Of north latitude
The accuracy of these observations Is
fully confirmed by Mr.. Green drawings
taken at Madeira in 1871. and consti
tuting, as Mr.. Maunders says. the mos,
lifolike representations of the planet eveI
published.
In 1879 the Hourglass Sea appeared
much broader from the disappearance Of
Osiridis Promontorium. An immediate
consequence of this invasion of the dark
material was that Lake Moeris seemed
no longer situated midway between the
Syrtes but at rather less than one third
the distance separating the embouchure
of the Nepenthes from the Lesser Syrtes.
4 characteristic feature Of the 1879 appa-
ration was slight shading Of the south
western segment of Libya.
Analogous phenomena were noted in
lSSl-lSS2.
"The next opposition Of 1SS3-1SS4 was
marked by a further step In the inva-
sion Of the dark material of the Syrtis
over duslly Libya. At this time no more
than a hundred miles separated the lake
from the sea, while the brightness Of
libya had undergone further diminu-
ton.
In 1886 and 1883. the progress OF the
dark invasion was a very languid one.
A sketch by Schiaparelli shows Libya
always shaded, while the termination Of
the Nepenthes Canal and the shrnkage
| " Moeris Lacus are highly interesting.
| ing.
Tho general confguration Of this part
| Of the planet underwent no striking
| changes in 1890 Nepenthes was always
| double; but the darkness of Libya was
occasionally very intense, and at times,
! so marked as to food 10 disappearance
| Lake Moeris in this sombre background.
"a drawing. taken in 1892 by Mr. wal
ter Gale, at Sydney, New South
Wales. shows some remarkable changes
| in the Moeris Lacus and Libya regions
| invaded by the expansion OF the Syrtis
| Major
FINALLY, in 1884, 1t would appear that
| the invasion had actually reached Lake
| Moeris. which, according to Mr.. Lowell,
| had ceased 10 exist as a lake forming
| a simple bay of the Hourglass Sea. AS,
| however. some observers-amid whom,
Mr.. Stanley Williams. Table Moreux,
! and the writer-had distinctly seen this
| spot at the time. it is more prudent 10
consider Lake Moeris,, or, at least, its
! the Syrtls Major at the 1894 opposition.
'The final disappearance Of the lake
into the dark material was completed
during the last apparation. Iibya, as
| pointed out by Mr.. Lowell in 1894. was,
| after such protracted observation,
seen quite clear again in 1896 and 1897.
| All observers agree on this point. Among
! the very latest representations of the
Syrtis Major is that due TO the pencil OF
the Rev. T. L. r. Phillips, one of the
best living observers in England.
Another feature OF the lSe6-'97 appari-
ton Of Mars in the region in question
is the formation Of new canal, run
ming from the mouth of the ancient
Astapus TO the Boreosyrtis. This canal
was for some time lately an exceedingly
obvious marking and in October, 1896.
was darker than the Nilosyrts. Since
then its visibility has gradually de-
creased. Mr. Lowell's 1874 map shows
this feature, and so do some old draw
ing. by FranZcnau in 1854. Boeddicker
and Burton in 1852. These occasional
appearances OF the same object make il
evident that we have TO deal here with
some kind of stability, or. rather, with
peridical return TO analogous cond-
tions. As much might be said OF an
other canal seen by Mr.. Stanley Will
| hams In 1870, uniting Lake AOerlS 10 the
Syrtis Minor, which then became in
visible for some time and reappeared
In 1896.
"rhe intricate invasion by the dark
material OF the. Syrtis of the bright con-
tinent 20 the East is shown as accu-
rately as possible. But the successive
SHORES OF the Syrtis are drawn on the
suppOsltion that Lake Moeris has re-
manned fixed in the mean time. Such,
however, IL not the case; and our i'm
preston Is that the lake has advanced