MISS MARY PROCTOR,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1619, 10 December 1912, Page 2

MISS MARY PROCTOR,

HER VISIT TO THE DOMINION. "What stars you have in New Zealand; they are magnificent," such was tho remark to a representative of the Auckland "Herald" yesterday morning by. a lady who arrived by the Wimmera from Sydney on Sunday, and who confessed to having spent an all-night vigil in gazing at the wonders of tho Milky Way. The subject of the interview was Miss Mary Proctor, the eminent astronomer, who wrote "Other Worlds than Ours," and who also visited this country in the course of a lecturing tour some thirty-one years ago. Miss Proctor has come with a special mission to the lands of tho Southern Cross, and she has just concluded a series of successful lectures in Australia. The object of that mission is to infuse into the people of the neighbouring Commonwealth and Dominion the wisdom of establishing in cither country a solar observatory to complete the chain which at present partially links the continents of the world. The other observatories are at Cambridge (England), ICodaikanao (India), Yerkes (near Chicago), and Mount Wilson (near Los Angeles). The Meteorological Society in Great Britain recently declared by resolution, that an observatory should be established in Australia or New Zealand, so as to make more complete the system of interpreting the meaning which attaches to the solar alterations and the meteorological changes of the earth. in the the opinion of Miss Proctor as expressed yesterday morning the location of New Zealand is more favourable for such an observatory than that of Australia, because of its closer proximity to India. The visitors pointed out that just now some 150 degrees between India and Australasia are left blank so far as solar observation is concerned. On January 18 Miss Proctor sails for India, but in the meantimo she will visit the four cities of New Zealand to lecture with tho object of arousing further interest in astronomy, and of convincing the people of this Dominion that they would be well-advised to establish an observatory. After visiting the Ocean Observatory, Miss Proctor will procecd to Egypt for the purpose of gathering data and also of inspecting, at the special invitation of the inventor, Mr. Sliuman, of Philadelphia, the wonderful sun-harness-ing machine located there. Miss Proctor explained that by an ingenious method of reflecting the rays of t'he 6un. upon d vessel cf water,. this machine was made to work an apparatus which pumped from the earth plentiful supplies of water. "It would.be a grand thing to introduce it to parts of Australia, where thejr are so subject to drought," added tho visitor. She also mentioned' that she would return here in April to follow up the work of her present trip, but the point that most interests New , Zealand in connection with Miss Proctor's present visit is the strong opinion which she holds concerning the suitability of this Dominion for purposes of astronomical observation. "Tour country is more centrally eituateditlan Australia," she remarked, "and the stars, which I watched until 2 o'clock in the morning, are wonderfully clenr, while you have 6ome splendid high mountains." By way of explanation, Miss Proctor added that the ideal place for an observatory was an elevated mountain frequently favoured, by sunshiny days, and with clear atmosphere entirely free from dust.

A Press Association message received from Sydney yesterday morning stated that Lord and Lady Islington sailed on Saturday by the steamer Osterley.

Mrs. W. Barton (Peatlierston) will arrive in Wellington on Wednesday, after an extended trip to Great Britain and Europe.

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