Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 69.djvu/252

236 on board the Dutch mail steamer " Koningen Eegentes," at] r k South- ampton, on March 4. The observers joined the ship at Genoa, on March 14, and sailed in company with Mr. and Mrs. Newall, the Dutch eclipse party, and an American eclipse party from the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, direct to Padang in Sumatra, arriving there on April 6.

In consultation with Mr. Joekes the Governor of the West Coast and Major Miiller the Director of the Ordnance Survey as to choice of station, it appeared that the small island of Pulo Aoer Gadang might be suitable, and the Governor kindly offered us the use of his yacht to visit the island on March 10. In company with Mr. Von Locken we chose a suitable site and made the necessary arrange- ments with the native chief who owned the island. Lieut, and Com. Oldham conveyed us with our instruments and materials for building huts to Gadang on March 13, and remained anchored off Gadang, except for short necessary visits to Padang for ice, fresh meat, &c., till May 25, one week after the eclipse. On this day the instruments were brought back to Padang for shipment to Europe, and the observers Avere conveyed to Singapore, which was reached in the early morning of June '2.

Station. The particularly uncertain character of the weather in Sumatra made it desirable that stations as far apart as possible should be occupied by the different parties of observers. The stations occupied by different expeditions are shown on the accompanying map (A).

Saivah Loento, by Mr. Newall and by a party from the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology.

Solok, by numerous American observers of the United States Naval Observatory expedition.

Fart de Koch, by American and Dutch observers.

Padang, by the Lick Observatory party, French, Russian, and Japanese observers.

Karang Sago, by the Dutch party.

Aoer Gadang, by the Royal Observatory.

The presence of the " Pigmy " made it possible to occupy Aoer Gadang. This station had the advantage of being as far away as possible from the mountain range which runs parallel to the west coast of Sumatra. Solok and Sawah Loento are to the east of this range.

Aoer Gadang is a small island about 1 mile long and mile broad, surrounded by a coral reef. The site chosen for the eclipse camp was a small clearing near the eastern shore opposite a passage through the reef. Its position, as determined from large scale maps published by the Government of the Dutch East Indies, is lat. 1 23' 28" S., and long. 100 29' 13" E. of Greenwich. It is about 7 miles distant from