THE BANQUET AT CANTERBURY TO THE ENGLISH ASTRONOMERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1887, 5 November 1874, Page 3

THE BANQUET AT CANTERBURY TO THE ENGLISH ASTRONOMERS.

We make the following extracts from the speeches delivered at the banquet in Christchurcb to the English Scientific men who have come there to observe the transit of Venus Dr. Haaot, the President of the Philosophical Institute, in proposing the toast of the evening, said: It was on the Bth of October, 1769, that Captain Cook on his Otahite voyage, where he was sent by the English Government for the observation of the transit of the same planet, as it were, re-discovered New Zealand. And thus a voyage underlaken for one special purpose was fraught with the most important results in many other respects. This fact alone shows the influence of science in promoting the civilisation of mankind and material progress of the world. Without that voyage, undertaken in the interests of pure science, this portion of the hemisphere would in all probability, not have been as it now is, an important portion of the British Empire with so many of the comforts and enjoyments of European life, and the high aims and aspirations of a steadily-advancing community.—Major Palmer has achieved a good reputation in the various parts of the world in which he has served hi 3 Queen and his country, and has never for a moment forgotten the claims that science has upon him, The sound work done by him in connection with the great Sinaitic expedition has brought his name into prominent and favourable notice throughout the scientific world. Lieutenant Darwin bears a name, and I may say, carries with him the personal features of one, whose position in the ranks of science is not only foremost in this century, but will occupy in the future the same position amougst the investigators of biological science as is occupied by Newton in physical science. In one word, I am certain that he will prove himself the worthy son of an illustrious father.

Major Palmer in replying said: —" It certainly, gentlemen, is a very great privilege to be as we have been, to take part in what is perhaps the greatest astronomical enterprise which the world has ever seen; an enterprise which has for its object the determination of the earth's true distance from the sun —the' standard yard,' as it has been well termed, of dimensional astronomy; for it is on this that we chiefly rely for our measure of all the dimensions of the solar system, and of the distances of those few of the fixed stars whose remoteness can bo gauged at all by any means yet known to science. But if anything could heighten the pleasure and pride with which we serve in such an interesting undertaking, it would be the good fortune which has brought us to this beautiful island as our sphere of duty, and the kind reception which we have met with from its inhabitants. Gentlemen, I spokb just now of the high scientific value of observations of the transit of Venus. But they have an utilitarian value also, which must not be overlooked. To Great Britain especially, as the chief of maritime nations, anything which tends to ensure safely in navigation, has a direct practical aud commercial importance ; and this is exactly the result which successful observations of the transit of Yenus will help to bring about. The sailor, who has to fiud his absolute longitude at sea, depends upon the place of the moon at any given instant as predicted in the tables of the Nautical Almanac; and these predictions are founded on what is called the lunar theory —or that theory by which astronomers, taking into account all the forces wiiich they conceive to influence the moon's motion, have framed, in order that they may bo able to calculate years boforehaud where the moon will be in the heavens at any given moment. But the lunar theory, in its present shape, does not fulfil these expectations. It is constantly at fault, and the moon is seldom exactly where she ought to be, if I may so say; or, at any rale, where the tables would place her. She is a constant source of worry and perplexity to astronomers. As Sir George Airey once feelingly remarked to me, ' We don't mind the stars, Major Palmer, and we cau gut on pretty well with the sun and planets, but the moon is tlio greatest plague of all.' Now, the chief reason, there cau be little doubt, of this extraordinary apparent misbehaviour on the part of the moon is, that wo do not accurately know the earth's distance from the sua: so you see that the transit of Venus will afford the means of perfecting the lunar theory, aud thus of improving the scieuce of navigation, aud adding to the safety of commerce; and not navigation only; for it will aid in the determination of absolute longitude at all points of the earth's surface which are not connected by telegraph with fixed observatories.