HOW TO WATCH THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 263, 5 November 1874, Page 2

HOW TO WATCH THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.

In answer to the queries of one or two wbo-lrelfeairoisor '| a W'pg ft. simple method of watching the phenomenon of tlie tranait of Venus Mtoas.the.aaQ'a dUo, Jlc... Ellfirj;,_the Victorian Goveronient astronomer, has kindly supplied a. contemporary with tbe following^ f noJe| hi^h w|l| b&, useful for the guidance of amateur' observers t — " Observations of the transit of Venus flcrqaa the sun's disc will be principally cbnflnad to the determioait ioD' of the exac^*^e at tbe plsnet'e disc enters upon that ol tfce eun-lWd thoaa particular instants when the outer edge of the planet is in precise eoincidenee with. the sun's edge, called internal contact, will be taken. These contacts occur when Venus first shows as a full rouod disc on entering 4he laun's disc,js and again while ahei m $ dbowa a disc just before egress. Such observaious require the ose of pood telescopes: will mounted, with apertures of not .leas^th?? 8io v to..^|ia.|itliej. also rethe tiw l of" 'a^g^ chropometer, a^dthe, exact local" «mean -time of' wdeVettf tito'e.r ! ForJisimpl^ viewing the phenomenon, very simple apparatos will be sufficient. To good eyea, protected by deep colored or smoked glass, Venus will be visible after she is well on the sun's disc. Any ordi^ar>, teie&dp^ aod binocala^-lpbri^o? iiefd passes/ Wi give a better view ; but whatever telescope is used, great care is neces^* §ary to protect the eyes from the intense glare afidjjieat c^njenljjatepjlitj the eye aperture/ and if prop#sunshades F are , not pNftled^ with ~tha f telescopfee, ihey must be" Mpr6vfsVd r before attempting to look at tbe sun, for many have lost or injured their eyesight by not attending to this moefc necessary precaution. Deeply colored glass, especially a piece of deep red, and a piece of £eop}s:<ln or^bjue ■ -•.-' . ! '• — - ' H ij r a B |j(l H g-

togefner, would be found very safe and pleaaaat; a piece of bloc and green, or deep tint will also do nicely. If Done of these can ba obtained, the old Jfthfcnttl smoked glass will form su excellent substitute. The proper matfeod of makiog thie is;— Obtain two strips of thin olear glass, say three ineb^'lbag by one inch broad (the' glass sold for the;mioroscopic slides ia tbg |se_s); ; around the margin of one of th^wiur faces f paste a atrip of thick writing paper abont an eighth off an ioej&^road,' and smoke this surface byi; h^^f^ne slip over a candle witb a long fliviok or a small kerosene flame/ (wjtbotti chimney) taking care to warm the glass graddally at first or it will cra<flt n L The proper density of the blackening (lan bo got after a few trials. After fto right kind ot smoked surface bac been obtained, the second glass can bo fastened over it; ; the strips of paper Wslj^|Bg it (f/pjn coming into contact; by pasting a strip of-; thin,; paper over the edges co as to hold the two glasses togotß]^-. a dark shade for observing tkSvintii formed, which will last ariy> mimm?A .si no ?-.wip ' 1., i,, 1 .. 1 , s . t ]We :^e the following' from the AjHjtlanci jßfcr o/rf :--In America the (dreb!tod:aod the oane have become obsolete^torfcures of the past to boybood } jfnd girlhood. Now, io tbe IJaJtea States . it islield tbat a scboolsnaster or a schoolmistress wbo is compelled to resort to corporeal punishment ia as little fit to onder take tbe control of*cnildren as a borse-breaker who is mhible to bring onder subjection the z^le^t of animals. When a school tafs|jer : ;fJjaa to resort. to physical force With his popil, it is held in America tfat 3he,is onfit for his office, and he is in his resignation. JLmooiE other reports comes one from the Chicago Board of Education, in Vhich.it is stated, that since theabolisbrt&Wi of corporeal punishment in the publio schools, there has been infinitely bejfer than was formerly maintained, the only change demanded Bomg Ji tbo discharge of the old class of»Bfißslnfiasters, md employing those off aoperior mental calibre. Wherf'a boy Off sbgitl'ia fooad not to be amenable to. rfsap^ admonitioo, he or sho ia soa-v ifi^^d^tinti! the promise of reform cm h^gel^f'QpOjQ. 'Since the abolition of corporeal punishment, taking Chicago *s Waif "twnpte of all the other States of there haa been only one? tnlpension in every 24,000 pupils. It follows, then, that if better resolts can bocobiaftied Withoot flogging thaD with it, oertainly the last reason for baa disappeared. In tbe g^cipa^ach'6ols.of Nelson and Christ- : the.: io^iotion of pbysical pain bas long since been dispensed with, to t§« wonderful, improvement of the { a^olattendanis. Boys are treated as ifvihoy^ were yonng gentlemen, even to the rooghest and most'oncootb. They a^jriacad, ,. upon their honor~their l^dj^'neyar doubted, their honesty never challenged,. their; diligence only questioned. Regret-on the part of tbe fifiaW that a 'boy shonld break his #^rd or bi guilty of a misappropriation, rad disappointment tbat further proer^^baapot bSen made, is as a rule «W|d''tO;>e auffioi6nt. y When the honor or iqta^ty or the diligence of the yoota is not doubted, he"is placedon his ttetlte: v Alf the allowance which has to bo m*Je!is tie natural quickriess df one pnpl^byer^another. But then this ayatem of tuition only be the outconouQlßoperior teaching, apd superior 4toffebirigtid^ans adequate compensation. In Auckland the best pay of a achoolm|stei^ allowing, perhaps, for one or JwQipJ^P^t»9?» does not exceed that of a carpenter or a bricklayer, and the consequence is that we are unsuccessful ,»_bwteciog .efficient teaohers to dwell im'Mvrooktifatfwnd ondertake the tuition of the " rising generation."