Captain Cook, Astronomer, Recalled.

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 2, 3 January 1940, Page 6

Captain Cook, Astronomer, Recalled.

VdJIWUI VVUk, AAUVUUtIiQi, IVDtOItVU. Only two eclipses, the miuimum number possible, will occur during ID4O, and neither will be visible from New Zealand. The first, an annular eclipse, will occur ou April 7, and will be visible only in America. The second, a total »<ilnr eclinsc. will be visible only in

solar eclipse, will be visible only in fc'julh America. The obscuration in each instance will be for about four minutes. It is interesting in Centennial year that a transit of the planet Mercury across the face of the sun will be observed from the Dominion. Captain James Cook made the lirst astronomical observation in New Zealand of a transit of Mercury in November, 170 V, and the incident is commemorated in the names Mercury Day, lied Mercury and Croat Mercury islands, which the navigator gave to portions of the cast coast of the Hauraki Peninsula. Year's Fires in Wellington. “From the lire brigade’s point of view, Wellington throughout 1939 has not been favoured with the same good fortune of several years past. Fire calls have been much more frequent, and in two instances much more disastrous," said the superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade, Mr. C. A. Woolley, in reviewing the work of the brigade. “There has been an increased demand upon the brigade’s services, and obviously but unfortunately this is reflected in the fire loss figures. With the exemption of two major outbreaks, fires occurring in residential or business premises are considered to have been confined withiu the average losses for the previous year, and the two exceptions mentioned, the Social Security Building fire on February 2, 1939, and the Victoria House fire on March 28, 1939, were responsible for more than 50 per cent, of the insured and uninsured losses recorded against the 250 fires occurring whero property was directly affected." Father Christmas at Fort One of the soldiers of the 13th Battalion at North Head, Auckland, still believes in Father Christmas. He was on sentry duty after midnight on Sunday when ho spotted a figure with a bulging sack snooping round. He didn’t then believe in Father Christmas, and as fhia ancient gave this name when faced with a challenge and bared bayonet, the sentry let him have it in the sack. At this stage another figure with a sack loomed up and identified himself as a lieutenant. He showed the •entry a store of goods In the sack, part of a consignment from the Auckland Metropolitan Patriotic Committee from which each of the 250 men in camp was to get a handkerchief, a toothbrush, 25 cigarettes, and a tin of toffee. Father Christmas, who had been pinked in his toffee store, was a sergeant. Hs gave the sentry the sack—and then something. At least 00 the yarn goes in tho camp canteen, and tins of toffee arc ebown to support it.