"When the cusps of the sun were about a quarter of the moon's diameter apart, the advance of these points towards each other was very sensible, being almost as rapid as the movement of a star in the field of a transit instrument, but it was not uniform. The cusps appeared to wriggle forwards, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, with a vermicular motion."

"I saw distinctly," M. Mauvais says, "a luminous trace in advance of the cusp and its prolongation, but at a distance of about 10", the dark interval gradually diminished in extent at its extremities, and the detached luminous points grew larger and finally fused in one. Just before the definitive formation of the annulus, a series of points and luminous traces, more or less extended in the direction of the moon's limb (but all very thin in the perpendicular direction), were seen throughout the space between the cusps; all these grew gradually larger at the extremities, and finally united. The ring, when formed, was very thin, not exceeding a few seconds. I insist particularly on this point, that the dark intervals gradually decreased, not merely in a direction parallel to the moon's limb, but also in depth or perpendicular to the limb. They did not extend themselves into dark filaments, as described by Mr. Bailey, in his Memoir, and as represented in his drawing."

of the luminous points. If the second contact be estimated from the formation of these points, then the duration must be shortened about 1"."

Some remarkable explanations of certain known inequalities of the Moon's motion have also been made. The Report of the Astronomical Society says:

by the Society, is one by our Associate, Among the communications received Professor Hansen, on two inequalities in the motion of the moon. No equally important addition has been made to phy sical astronomy during many years. For small correction to the moon's theoretical more than half a century the want of a motion, of the nature of an inequality of long period, had been recognised by physical astronomers. Several conjectural terms had been suggested, adopted for a time, and finally disproved. Professor Hansen has shown clearly that this correction is given by the introduction of two terms, depending on the perturbations which the action of Venus produces in the motion of the moon. One of these arises from a remarkable numerical relation betwen the anomalistic motion of the moon and the sidereal motions of Venus and the Earth; the other is an indirect effect of an inequality of long period in

"With a magnifying power of 40, and a red shade, the formation of the ring took place without any irregularity. At this time the sun was a little clouded, but shortly after he became perfectly clear; and a power of 60 was applied, with a dark glass, which, combining complementary colours, gives white images. The lunar mountains were distinctly seen upon the sun. The limb of the moon undulated, but continued circular up to the time of the second contact. contact did not take place in a continuous line; the tops of several mountains touched the sun's limb at once, so that the cusps were connected by a series of luminous points separated from each other, but perfectly referable to the forms of the mountain previously seen."

"The duration of the annulus was 7 0" 4, which should, perhaps, be increased 2" or 3" on account of the clouds at the

first contact. The second contact was estimated to take place at the disappearance

A remarkable paper by Mr. Galloway, on "The Proper Motion of the Solar System," forms part of the Transactions of the Royal Society, a subject elaborately treated by Argelander, Lundahl, and Otto Struve by a comparison of the observed motions of stars in the northern hemisphere, with their precessional mo

tion during a long interval. The conclusion arrived at by these astronomers was that, independently of the proper motions attributable to the stars themselves, there is also an apparent motion well recognised, arising from the set of the solar system towards a welldetermined point in the heavens. This fact Mr. Galloway attempted to verify by a similar discussion derived from observed motion of stars in the southern hemisphere. The result arrived at by Mr. Galloway agrees very satisfactorily with that adduced by Otto Struve, and the fact is therefore greatly more certain, and as sure as that of any other phenomena of astronomy.

The completion of various astronomical labours of the most distinguished character also marked the year. Among these may be mentioned the publication of a splendid volume, at the expense of the Duke of Northumberland, containing the results of Sir John Herschel's four and a half years' residence at the Cape, beginning with 1834 — a task undertaken with most enlarged conceptions of the duties of science, and a deep sense of filial obligation.

Sir John Herschel having some years ago intimated the desirableness of collecting an unbroken series of graphical descriptions of the sun's surface, the Rev. J. T. Hussey nobly worked out the idea, and presented to the Astronomical Society eleven hundred drawings of the sun's surface, from April 1826 to December 1847.

The Histoire Celeste has been reduced, and the Southern Catalogue of stars has been calculated at the expense of the British Association, and published at the expense of the British Government,

works the labour of which had been greatly increased by the premature deaths of three of the gentlemen who had undertaken the task. A remarkable work on the "Distribution of the Stars,' under the title of Etudes d'Astronomie Stellaire has been published by M. Struve, of which one of the most remarkable results is the conclusion that the stars which we see with the naked eye are a part of the great stratum of stars which, when we see it edgewise, we distinguish as the Milky Way. Another great deduction made in this remarkable work relates to the "Extinction of the Light of the Stars in passing through the celestial spaces.'

The researches of Sir J. Lubbock on the Planetary Theory, those of MM. Le Verrier and Adams on Planetary Perturbations, the Zone Observations of Professor Argelander of Bonn; the reduction of Greenwich Observations of the Moon from 1750 to 1840; Colonel Everest's "Account of the Measurement of the great Meridional Arc of India, and Weisse's Catalogus Stellarum ex Zonis Regiomontanis, are among the many illustrious proofs of the advance of science and the zeal and knowledge of its professors. short, to use the words of the yearly report of the Astronomical Society, it seemed as if astronomy had exhibited the results of every kind of human aid, and had chosen the year 1847 to show how well she could at once command the highest speculation of mathematical intellect, the laborious perseverance of calculating toil, the discriminating sagacity of the observer, the munificence of mercantile wealth, and the self-devotion of the voluntary exile.

In

Thad attended the explorations

HE very great success which

of the expeditions undertaken by the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, in extending the knowledge of those parts of the Arctic Coasts, which had defeated the enterprise of Franklin, Ross, Parry, and other travellers sent out by the Government of England, prompted that great and spirited commercial company to fit out another expedition, with the object of determining whether the land visited by Sir John and Captain James Ross was, as was the opinion of the latter, an island, or whether in truth Boothia Felix was, as was strongly asserted by the former, an extensive peninsula joined to the main by a narrow neck of land, intersected by lakes and ponds. The expeditions of Messrs. Dease and Simpson which had attained such great results in joining Point Barrow, the extreme point visited by Captain Beechey, to the limit of the journey of Franklin, Point Beechey, and subsequently in filling up the gap left between the Point Turnagain of the latter navigator and the extreme point attained by Captain Back, had been accomplished by means apparently inadequate, being little more than foot journeys performed by those enterprising gentlemen, accompanied by a few attendants for the conveyance of necessaries, without those ample supplies of boats, stores, arms, and peltries, with which the munificence of the Bri

arm their officers against the pos

tish Government endeavoured to

sibility of failure. The expedition now despatched by the Ĥndson's Bay Company, under the command of Dr. John Rae, was upon a similar unostentatious scale. Its precise objects were to determine the question of the continuity of the land of North America with Boothia Felix, and to survey the unexplored portion of the Arctic coast at the northeastern angle of the American continent. This undertaking was brought to a successful issue, the result being, beyond the power of further dispute, that Sir John Ross was perfectly correct in his opinion, that Boothia Felix is a peninsula; that Melville Peninsula is part of the main land bounded on the north by the Hecla and Fury Straits; and that the great Gulf of Boothia has no outlet or communication with Hudson's Bay south of Hecla and Fury Straits, or with Baffin's Bay on the north, except by Prince Regent's Inlet.

The Report of Dr. Rae to the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company is an interesting document, of which the following is the most important portion:

"The expedition under my charge left Churchill on the 5th of July, 1846, for the purpose of tracing the coast of America between Dease and Simpson's farthest, and the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, and returned in safety to this place on the 6th instant, after having, by travelling over the ice and snow in the spring,

surveyed the coast from the Lord Mayor's Bay of Sir John Ross to within eight or ten miles of the Fury and Hecla Strait, thus proving that that eminent navigator was correct in stating Boothia Felix to be a portion of the American continent. After leaving Churchill, the crews of the boats were divided into watches, so that we continued under sail day and night whenever the weather was sufficiently moderate. On the 23rd, we made the traverse from the south to the north side of the entrance of the Wager River with some difficulty; and holding on our course towards Repulse Bay, about 7 P.M. on the 24th we rounded Cape Hope, and sailed up during the night to within eight miles of the head of the bay, where we cast anchor for a few hours under shelter of a small island near its south shore. At 3 P. M., on the 25th, we entered Gibson's Cove. From a chart drawn by one of the party, I inferred that the Arctic Sea (named Akkoolee), to the west of Melville Peninsula, was not more than forty miles distant, in a N. N. W. direction, and that about thirty-five miles of the distance was occupied by deep lakes: so that we would have only five miles of land to drag our boat over-a mode of proceeding which I had decided upon, even had the distance been much greater, in preference to going round by the Fury and Hecla Strait. Having unloaded the boats, and placed one of them, with the greater part of the cargo, in security, the other was hauled three miles up a rapid and narrow river, which flowed from one of the lakes we were to pass through. On the 27th we reached the lake, which was six miles long, and varied from half a mile to two hundred yards in breadth, its depth being in some places upwards of thirty fathoms. After traversing several lakes, and crossing over six "portages," on the 1st of August we entered a shallow stream flowing to the northward. Following this, we arrived at the sea at 5 P.M., in latitude 67° 13′ N.; longitude, by account, 87° 30′ W.

rounded a high bluff cape, which was called after the lady of Sir John Henry Pelly, bart., governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is situated in latitude 67° 27′ N.'; longitude, by account, 87° 40′ W. With much exertion, we advanced three miles beyond the cape, when we were inclosed by the ice, so that we could neither advance nor retreat. The shore still kept its north-west trending, and presented a succession of low muddy points and alternate bays. There was a fresh breeze off shore on the 5th, which had but little effect upon the ice. I therefore determined on returning, and, if possible, crossing over to Melville Peninsula for the purpose of tracing its shores to the Fury and Hecla Strait. By chopping off some pieces of ice, and pushing aside others, after much exertion we succeeded in getting our boat among ice somewhat less closely packed. During our detention, the weather had been so foggy, that no observations of any value could be obtained; our clothes were all the time either quite wet or damp, our fuel was nearly expended, and we had much difficulty in finding water that was drinkable. Working our way among the ice until a mile or two past Point Hargrave, there now appeared to be sufficient open water to allow us to cross over to Melville Peninsula, the nearest point of which bore N. E. (true), distant ten miles. We completed the traverse in five hours, amidst torrents of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, the wind having shifted from S. W. to E. There was a thick fog with rain all the night of the 6th, but about 6 o'clock on the morning of the 7th a fresh breeze from S. E. dispersed the mist. As soon as the weather cleared up we started, but our progress was very slow; in four hours we gained as many miles, and were again stopped by our constant enemy. Early on the 8th, it became calm; and so slight had been the effect of the late gale, that the ice had nearly surrounded us before we got our anchor up. The boat could not be placed in safety here; I therefore decided on running back to our starting point, and there awaiting some favourable change. A light breeze aided our retreat; but the ice followed close in our rear, and before we had been half an hour under shelter every spot of open water was filled up. I prepared to walk across to Repulse Bay, to learn how the men left there were getting forward with the arrangements for wintering. Leaving

three men in the charge of the boat, I started on the 9th, in company with the other three, and reached our destination on the following day, at 2 P. M. After mature consideration, I determined on giving up all hopes of prosecuting the survey at present. On the 11th, retaining one man with myself, to guard our stores and attend the nets, the remaining six were sent to assist in bringing over the boat. They returned on the 15th, having been only two days crossing. Two Esquimaux had accompanied them to assist, and also to act as guides; three of the "portages" were thus avoided, and the party had likewise the advantage of a fine fair breeze in the lakes. The Esquimaux had wrought well, and were liberally rewarded. All hands were now busily occupied in making preparations for a long and cold winter. To build a house was our first object, and, there being no wood, stones were collected at a favourable spot, in a hollow on the north side of the river, a quarter of a mile from the sea. On the 2nd of September our house was furnished. Its internal dimensions were 20 feet long by 14 feet broad; height in front 7 feet, sloping to 5 at the back. The roof was formed of oilcloths and morse skin coverings, the masts and oars of our boats serving as rafters. The door was made of parchment deerskins stretched over a frame of wood. It was named Fort Hope, and it was situated in latitude 66° 32′ 16′′ N., longitude (by a number of lunar distances) 86° 55' 51" W. The variation of the compass on the 30th of August, 1846, was 62 50 30" W.; dip of the needle 88° 14'; and the mean time of 100 vertical vibrations in the line of declination, 226′′. The winter was extremely stormy, indeed so much so that frequently we could not move fifty yards from the house for several days together. Towards the end of February, preparations for our spring journeys were commenced.

"On the 5th of April I left Fort Hope, in company with three men, the Esquimaux, İbit-chuk, and Ouglibuck's son, as interpreter. Our bedding and provisions were placed on two sledges, each drawn by four dogs. For two days our route was the same as that by boat through the lakes last autumn. On the 7th, when two miles from the sea, we struck across land to the westward, and built our snow house ́on a small lake four miles from Point Hargrave. This being the last fresh-water lake we were likely to see for some days, our

sled-runners were re-iced. A strong breeze of head wind with thick snow drift impeded our progress on the 8th, but we nevertheless advanced seven miles beyond Cape Lady Pelley before encamping. The 9th proved fine, and the ice was less rough than that passed over the previous day; but our dogs began to fail, and one of them having become quite useless was shot. About mid-day on the 10th we arrived opposite a rounded point, which was named Cape Weynton. Our course now lay across a bay about six miles deep, and ten wide, which received the name of Colville, in honour of the deputy-governor of the company. The north point of the bay, which we reached the following forenoon, was called Beaufort, after the learned and scientific hydrographer to the Admiralty. Our next encampment was in Keith Bay, situated in lat. 68° 17′ N., long. 88° 22′ W. The coast here took a sharp turn to the eastward, and our Esquimaux companion informed me, that by crossing overland, in a north-west direction, to a large bay which he had formerly visited, we should shorten our distance considerably. I decided on adopting the plan proposed, and left the coast on the morning of the 12th. On the 15th, which was very stormy, with a temperature of 20° below zero, we arrived at the steep mud-banks of the bay spoken of by our guide, and called by him Ak-ku-li-guwiak. As the dogs were now nearly useless, I determined on leaving them here with some of the party, including the Esquimaux, for the purpose of recruiting their strength, and, if possible, to kill seals, which were numerous, whilst I, with two of the men, proceeded to trace the remainder of the unexplored coast. The 16th was so stormy that we could not attempt to cross the bay; but early on the morning of the 17th I set out in company with two of the men for the purpose of following the coast to some point surveyed by Sir John Ross-as I now felt confident that that veteran discoverer was correct in his opinion as to Boothia Felix being part of the American continent. We directed our course to the furthest visible land, which bore N. W. (true). The weather was beautiful, but cold, and, the ice being smooth, a brisk walk of seventeen miles brought us to the point towards which we had been proceeding, in time to obtain a meridian observation of the sun. Cape Berens is situated in lat. 69° 4′ 12′ N., and long. 90° 35′ W. It is formed entirely of granite, partially covered with