GENERAL NOTES Dr. Pritchett had conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. by Harvard University at its Commencement on June 26. He has also received appointment as Chief of the Bureau of Awards of the Pan-American Exposition. A similar position at the Centennial Exposition was held by General Walker before his appointment to the Presidency of the Institute. President Pritchett received, May 17, a cable message from Professor Alfred E. Burton, in charge of the eclipse party in Sumatra, announcing that important and highly satisfactory results had been obtained. The weather was cloudy during a portion of the eclipse, but not enough to interfere with the work of the party. As a result of their observations, all four contacts were observed, and a brilliant corona was shown at totality, which lasted nearly six minSeveral photographs of the corona were also obtained. utes. In his cablegram Professor Burton reports, in addition to the above, success with the photographs of the "shadow bands," and that a slight change of the magnetometer was noticed during the period of totality. He also announced the completion of pendulum observations at the observing station. In a letter from Harrison W. Smith, who is on the Eclipse Expedition from the Institute, speaking of the English coaling station at Perine, where the vessel stopped, he writes: If you can imagine a sandy desert sprinkled over with a thin layer of volcanic stones, you can get a pretty good idea of what the island looks like: it is as if a volcano were to get loose on the end of Cape Cod and sprinkle brown sugar over the sand-hills. On one end of the island, however, there are the sheds and buildings of an English coal company; and, as the island has nothing on it but the coal company and a few hundred Arabs and Africans, it does not own a post-office, so that I was forced to leave my letter at the coal company's office, where the clerk very obligingly pasted a whole picture gallery over your letter and put it in his pocket, and assured me it would go by the next British mail steamer. There were enough letters from the other passengers, so that I don't think he can put the coat on without finding them; but I can't see why he should ever put his coat on again. It is probably the hottest place inhabited by any white man. There is only one plant on the island, and they have two trained nurses to look after that tree and take its temperature every two hours. Rain never falls on this island, and every drop of water they use has to be con densed from sea water. In fact, sea water, air, and negroes are the only commodities that nature furnishes them with. It is pleasant to go to such a place and then get on a comfortable steamer and sail out into the beautiful Indian Ocean. Ever since we left Perine a gentle breeze has been blowing day and night. The north-east monsoon and light cumulus clouds have helped to protect us from the sun. The air is laden with moisture; but we wear cotton clothes and have cool baths in sea water, and are most languidly happy. The temperature of the air does not go much above 85 degrees in the day nor below 80 degrees at night, and the temperature of the sea water is about 80 to 81 degrees. We passed yesterday a ship going west. It shows interestingly how accurately these navigators can find their way about these oceans when two steamers, following the same track, pass each other not more than seven or eight miles distant. They have need of all their skill; for at the easterly end of the Red Sea there are no light-houses, notwithstanding the fact that the channel is crooked and dangerous, and followed by hundreds of vessels every year.... To-morrow we pass through the Maladive Islands (west of Ceylon), and there is there a large light-house; from there to Sumatra we must expect some rain; and, when we get to Sumatra, we shall probably have it by bucketfuls. The captain has meteorological charts issued by the Netherlands government which show the distribution of rainfall over the different parts of the East Indies. There is no place which shows so much rainfall as where we are going. Fortunately, however, most of it comes at night in the form of thunder showers; and, if we can keep our things dry, we shall probably have no trouble. I am very much pleased with the information we have received concerning the place we expect to select for our station. It is in the hills, away from the coast, where the climate is delightful and where we will get less rain than on the coast. We shall probably be able also to appropriate the top of some hill to plant our instruments on.... ... Padang, April 7, 1901.- We landed yesterday at 5 P.M., after a most delightful voyage.. We were most cordially received by almost all the Hollanders on board, but it was nothing to the consideration we have met with on land. As soon as the steamer was docked, Mr. Vedt, the United States consular agent, came on board, and greatly relieved us by the announcement that he had engaged rooms for us at the hotel. ... We remained, however, at the ship, to see our baggage all off, and did not get to the hotel till about eight o'clock, after a half-hour's drive. Our rooms are fine. They are in a new building, and my room is now occupied for the first time. The sleeping-rooms are in a two-story structure, with a balcony running along outside, and the room leading off from the balcony and extending through to the other side of the building. A light partition divides the room into an open veranda and a bedroom, through which the air circulates freely all night; and we sleep on cool, hard beds, under enormous clouds of mosquito netting, with no blanket. It is a great advantage to be in a new building. It is hardly credible, but I have seen only one large cockroach in my room. And I am inclined to think it was not his fault that he was there; for he hopped out of my dress-suit case, and probably came up from the ship. On our way up from the ship last night the consul endeavored to lend interest to the conversation by telling us that, "at just about this point, a tiger was seen to cross the road last week." He made a mistake, however, in telling so imaginative a tale; for he was discovered by the governor to-day, who, in answer to a question, said that it was necessary to go at least one hundred miles inland to get any tiger. "In fact," said the governor, "the only wild animals here that are at all dangerous are the mosquitoes. We met last evening, after dinner, some of the members of the other American parties. This morning we paid our official visit to the local governor. We would certainly have presented an interesting sight if we were to appear in Boston at ten o'clock in the morning in full evening dress; but this is the way we went to the governor, and were received by him at ten o'clock. The consul told us that it was not necessary to wear dress suits, that black clothes would do, but that dress suits were entirely proper, and the governor would probably consider it a compliment to him if we wore them. The Dutch astronomers arrived shortly after us, and were in evening dress. So we were very glad we adopted the suggestion of the consul. And our reception was most cordial. We were received in a sort of large veranda at the front of his residence by the governor himself, and were soon seated round a little table, with a box of excellent cigars in the centre, and, before long, with glasses of a most peculiar and delicious lemonade. We received very many valuable suggestions from the governor, and shall decide to-morrow on the location of our station; but the greatest manifestation of hospitality on the part of the Dutch government which we have received was the announcement that all visiting astronomers would receive passes on the railroad to go where and when we pleased, and that all our baggage would be transported on the railroad free. .. April 11.- After writing the above, I had my siesta, and then repaired to the residence of the consul, who entertained us at dinner at 9 P.M. (Dinner is never served before 8.30.) The consul's hospitality is complete, and leaves nothing to be desired. On the next day, Monday, the consul gave me a horseback ride on a little native Javanese pony, that gave me all I wanted to do to hold him in. It was a fine ride, but I haven't got over the effect of it yet. During the last two days we have been doing some shopping, and Professor Burton has been looking up the most desirable place for our station. We have decided on a place, and shall go there to-morrow. ... SOCIETY OF ARTS Since February 14 the following lectures have been held before the Society of Arts: "A Forest Policy for the United States," by Mr. Gifford Pinchot; "The Use of the Microscope in the Study of the Chemical Construction and Physical Properties of Metals," by Dr. Henry Fay; "Electrical Wave Transmission," by Professor M. I. Pupin; "The Increase of the Food Supply of Mankind through the Cultivation of Marine Animals, a Problem in Economic Zoölogy," by Dr. George W. Field; "Principles of Action of Various Types of Refrigerating Machines," by Professor J. E. Denton; "Cotton from Seed to Bale," by Mr. Henry G. Kittredge. THE UNDERGRADUATES JUNIOR WEEK The name "Junior Week," applied to the annual round of festivities occurring shortly after Easter, was first used in 1894. Since that time each Junior Class has striven to make the several events of that time more successful than those of the previous year. The class of 1902 carried out this idea this spring by holding in the week of April 21 perhaps the most successful Junior Week in the history of the custom. The initial event of the week was the Walker Club Play, “ A Night Off," which was in every way a conspicuous success. The play, the fifth of the club's series, is by the late Augustin Daly. The production was staged at Copley Hall on Monday, April 22. Mr. J. T. Scully, Jr., 'oo, and Mr. E. H. Davis, 'oo, took the leading parts of "Marcus Brutus Snap," an actor in pursuit of fame and fortune under various legitimate aliases, and "Jack Mulberry," respectively. W. C. Appleton, '01, as "Justinian Babbitt," a professor of Ancient History with a weakness for writing plays, enacted the rôle creditably, as did F. Burns, '03, that of "Lord Mulberry." As to the female characters, E. P. Beckwith, as "Nisbe," did notably good work, while A. H. Hepburn, '03, and J. R. Morse, '01, as "Angelina Damask" and “Susan," the maid, respectively, were wholly satisfactory. The whole cast consisted of: Messrs. W. C. Appleton, R. H. Rogers, E. H. Davis, F. Burns, J. T. Scully, Jr., I. G. Bouscaren, Jr., E. P. Beckwith, A. H. Hepburn, and J. R. Morse. The play was under the management of Messrs. Lowe, Gilson, and Upham. The annual spring concert and dance of the Musical Clubs was held on Wednesday night, April 24, in Paul Revere Hall. A large and appreciative audience greeted the clubs in their last concert of the year, and all enjoyed a new and attractive programme. It follows in detail: Messrs. HOOKER, WILSON, Seaver, BATEMAN, and McDougal. The appearance of Technique, 1902, was undoubtedly the mostlooked-for event of the week; and the expectant student body had every reason to feel fully rewarded for the wait. The book undoubtedly surpasses all its predecessors in general arrangement and typography. For the first time the presentation of the reading matter is equal to that of the illustrations. For the first time the contents of the book are fittingly displayed, the same excellence characterizing the work of the printer, the artist, and the editor. The threecolor reproductions of oil sketches by I. D. Hazelton for the frontispiece and Fraternity plates mark a step in advance, and the whole tone and character of the book is of the highest order. Technique is dedicated to President Pritchett. An excellent photo |