No. 137.
Mr. Avery
to Mr. Fish.
Peking, December 21, 1874. (Received February 24, 1875.)
Sir: Referring to your instruction of the 22d of April last, in relation to procuring from the Chinese authorities permission for the occupancy of a station, in or near Peking, by the commission on the transit of Venus, I have the honor to inform you of the following facts:
It was not necessary to obtain formal permission from the authorities here for the purpose indicated and, as there are no public grounds avail able, all that could be done was to procure the privilege of occupying some private grounds suitable for the purpose. Rightly thinking that the astronomical party would prefer to make its own selection, Mr. Williams, then acting chargé d’affaires, awaited its arrival. He was not notified when this might be expected, until the party had actually reached Tien-tsin. Prof. J. C. Watson, his wife, and professional associates and assistants, making seven persons in all, reached Peking September 16. They were lodged and entertained by Mr. Williams in his own house, until, with his aid, they had procured other quarters, in the vicinity of the lot selected for the site of observations, about two [Page 242] miles from the legation, on the west side of the Tartar city. Through the kindness of Rev. W. H. Collins, a missionary of the English Church, they obtained the free use of the required space for their instruments in his garden, taking up their residence on the premises of the Rev. Mr. Schereschewsky, an American missionary in the same vicinity. Mr. Williams assisted them in finding and fitting up these quarters, and did all in his power to promote their convenience and forward their object.
When I reached Peking, Professor Watson had, after much arduous labor in fixing his instruments, astronomical and photographic, been engaged for several weeks in the observations preliminary to the transit, and in those daily tests and experiments which were necessary to insure accuracy and certainty at the critical time. It is simply due to both Professors Watson and Young to say that the devotion, industry, and ability with which they applied themselves to their trust during the three months of their stay in Peking could not be exceeded. The usually clear atmosphere of this locality permitted stellar and lunar observations of great interest, and an important incident of these was the discovery by Professor Watson of a new asteroid, which he designated by the name, furnished him by Prince Kung, Jui-Hwa, signifying “good luck to China,” the prince thinking the discovery of a star early in the young Emperor’s reign, and at Peking, a peculiarly happy omen. During a period of moonlight nights, when observations could not be made, Pro-. lessors Watson and Young gratified the little foreign community of Peking by the delivery of one lecture each on the problems dependent for solution on the observation of the transit, and the application of spectroscopy to the same. On invitation from the legation, these lectures, delivered in an American missionary chapel, were attended by various members of the diplomatic body, and by a number of Chinese students from the Tung-Wen College, accompanied by its president, our countryman, Dr. Martin.
The morning of the transit, the 9th of December, was ominously cloudy, but the clouds fortunately broke enough at the right hours to permit successful observation of the inner and outer contacts, and the taking of one hundred photographs, exhibiting the planet in these and other positions on the sun’s disc. The spectroscope, however, could not be used, much to Professor Young’s disappointment. Otherwise the observation was fairly successful, and the data procured will be of great value, either separately or when collated with those obtained at other stations. They agree very well with those obtained here by the French and Russians. As the day was persistently cloudy at Tientsin and Shanghai, it is fortunate neither of those places was chosen by Professor Watson’s party instead of Peking, as was at one time proposed. At Chefoo, however, a port midway between those named, the German observers are said to have had a clear day.
The French observers in Peking secured upward of seventy daguerreotypes of the phenomenon, and had two members of the Tsungli Yamen as interested but somewhat anxious visitors. These officials are reported as having pronouced the transit a calamitous sign, and as expressing themselves glad when it was at an end. On invitation from me, with the consent of Professor Watson, several of the fereign ministers resident here, and members of their suites, visited the American station, and evinced a lively interest in the observations, calling upon me afterward to offer their congratulations. Dr. Dugeen, acting physician at the British legation, volunteered his services as an assistant in the photographic department, and they were availed of with much benefit.
[Page 243]Professor Watson’s party left here on the 19th inst. for Tientsin, where they will take Russell & Co.’s steamer Chile for Shanghai, resting at the latter place to make up a report to the Navy Department. Admiral Pennock having declined, for reasons given, to send a vessel to meet them, Professor Watson, in anticipation of the river-approach to the capital freezing up, and of the Shanghai merchant-steamer service being suspended, had made arrangements to go overland to Chin-kiang, on the Yangtze River. Owing to the winter being unusually mild, Russell & Co. Sent up steamers later than was expected, so that the tedious cart-journey of eighteen days, with its personal hardships and great danger to the instruments and precious photographic negatives, was averted at the last moment. On my application to the Tsungli Yamen, through Mr. Williams, they had kindly offered to send an official escort with Professor Watson on his way overland to Chin-kiang; and Mr. Wade, the British minister, had offered to send a student-interpreter. Fortunately the necessity for availing of these courtesies was removed, but they were none the less appreciated.
On the whole, the expedition to Peking, which has been conducted with eminent ability, has achieved a degree of success amply compensating the Government for its outlay and the members of the expedition for their zealous and wearisome labor.
I have, &c.,