Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/170

 [Vol. v.. No.

��Iiim lo return to Kiltmainjaro, lie paUl oB the last of his faithful followera, many ot whom had accom- panied Tliomsou on IiiB great journey, and took bis passage on the Britisb India Bteamer lo Sue;; in quite a sulky frame of mind, aa sorry to leave bia beautiful moiinUiin as many people are to quit England. Travelling overland from Suez, he arrived in London not much more than six weeks after he had csnght hli last glimpse of the snows of Kilimanjaro.

��Several expeditions to Alaska are projected dur- ing the coming leason. Gen. Miles, commanding the military district of which the territory forms a part. desires to acquire a knowledge of the utiexploi'ecl region between the head of Cook's Inlet and the Tananah watershed. The course of the Tauanab is likewise unmapped, except from hearsay, ttiougb often traversed by traders In the last llFteeu years; so that the opportunity exists here for a fruitful ex- pedition. It is hoped that arrniigetnents may l>e practicable by which Lieut, Ray, well known for his successful direction of the Point-Barrow party, may be able to command such an exploration. The plan (Kin templates work either fniro the Yukon aa a biuc, with a steam-launch and a small party, ascending in June and July, and returning before navigation closes, or an expedition by way of Cook's Inlet, making the portage to the Tananah, and then descending; but a filial decision is not yet reached. The party under Lieut. A-bercrombie did not succeed in obtaining native assistance, as expected, and were unable to pass beyond the glacier alleged lo obstruct the Copper or Atna River about sixty miles from the

Meanwhile, a party has actually started, under Gen. Miles'a orders, Jan. 30, for the Copper River. consisUng of Sergeant Kobinson ami F. W. Picket, signal-observer U.S.A., and commaniied by Lieut. Allen. They Intend to go to the mouth of the Atna or Copper River by steamer, and ascend as far as possible on the ice. pushing on by water as soon as the ice breaks up and the freshets are over. They hope lo cross the divide from the upper Atna, and descend by one of the Yukon tributaries to the mouth of the latter river, and rejoin civilization at St. Michael's. They may he fortunate enough to make the journey in one season, but are prepared to stay two years. They will add a number of Indians to the parly at Sitka, and carry various peace-offer- ings tor the Atna Indians.

Lieut. Stoney of the navy is reporte<l to iiave a new expedition nearly organiied to continue his in- vestigations (if the Kowak River. The plan adopted, so far as yet decided upon, is to take a steam-launch, ascend the river as far as possible, and pursue the explorations to its source, and winter in the region if necessary. It is staled that the party is to be com- posed of sixteen men, which is dangerously large, considering the limited loo d -resources of the region.

��and might be a<lvant.iseously diminished by one-half for explorations in tlia inlorior. K the party were lo pass over the divide, and investigate the course of the Colviilc, reluming tla Point Barrow nest summer. It would accomplish a praiseworthy and much-needed Investigation.

THE DOINGS OF ASTRONOMERS.

DiKEOioR HuDQH has continued the work of the Dearborn observatory during IK84 in the same lines u ill previous years. Mr. S. W. Burnham has had the use a[ the great telescope, a refractor of eighteen inches aperture, for observations on double stars; and, In addition to assistance rendered to Professor Hough, he has measured several difficult and interesting binary systems. The observatory has been open on Thursday evenings Lo members of the Chicago as- Iroiiuralcal society, and to astronomical classes from the city high schools ; and instruction in theoretical and pracLicai astronomy has been given to the senior class of the Chicago university. The obsen-alory delivers the signals for standard time to the city of Chicago daily.

Professor Uough has employed the great telescope throughout the year, lu scientific research, with good results. Thirly-t wo new double stare were discovered, most of which are difficult objects, and can be ob- sen'ed only when the atmospheric conditions of vision are good. The planet Jupiter has mainly taken his allention, and specially the spots and markings on the disk. The remarkable red spot, first observed in 187S, has maintained its size, shape, and outline, with very slight change, ever since that time. Of late, however, it has exiierlenced a marked change in visibility; which doubtless accounts, in good part, for the statements by other observers with smaller telescopes, that the spot had lost its outline. While from 1S19 to 1883 this spot had a retrograde drift in longitude on the surface of the planet, during the past opposition this appears to have nearly ueased. For Llie rotation period of the planet on Its axis. Professor Hough derivesOh. 55 m. 38.5s., determined from the mean of six hundred and sixty rotations, and varj'ing only slightly from that tor the previous year. The great equatorial belt on the disk of Jupi- ter is found to be subject lo gradual drift in latitude from year to year. Its width has also greatly In- creased, principally toward the soutii. A large num- ber of white spots were also observed, of variable visibility, and not absolutely relatively fixed in posi- tion. The rate of motiou of the envelope In which they are situate, Professor Hough finds to be two hundred and sixty miles per hour, making thus a complete revolution around the planet in about forty- four days and a half. Colored prints of several of the drawings of the planet acconipsny the report, and are very faithful representations of the salient features of the disk. Delineation with the pencil, however, has been only secondary to the micrometric measure- ments, of which there are between one and two liionsand, fixing with entire precision the poiEUont uf the belts, spots, and more imporlanl markings.

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