Astronomy: observatories set up in the Nicobar Islands to photograph a solar eclipse, April 1875. Wood engraving, 1875.

"The Nicobar Islands Eclipse Station. The expeditions sent from this country and from India to observe the total eclipse of April 6 at the Nicobar Islands failed to obtain any results, owing to heavy clouds coming up during the eclipse and entirely shutting out all view of the total phase. We have received, however, some photographs of the observing station and of the Nicobar native villages in its neighbourhood, with an account of the expedition. The Indian party consisted of Captain J. Waterhouse, Assistant Surveyor-General of India, Professor A. Pedler, of the Presidency College, Calcutta, and Professor P. Tacchini, the Italian spectroscopist, who had been invited by the Royal Society to join the English expedition, with a staff of assistant photographers. They left Calcutta, in the Government steamer Enterprise, on March 11, and proceeded to Galle, where they met the English party, composed of Messrs. Meldola and Reynolds and Professor Vogel, of Berlin. After a conference as to whether the parties could divide themselves between the stations of Mergui and Camorta, it was decided that both parties should go together to Camorta. This is a convict settlement, situated on the north side of the harbour of Nancoury, in the Nicobar Islands. As the main object was photographic, special attention had been given to this part of the equipment by the Indian observers; and the party were provided with an equatorial camera for photographing the corona, the same as used at Dodabetta in 1871; and, with a few alterations to suit a different latitude, an equatorial reflector, made by Browning, that had done good service with Colonel Tennant and Mr. Pogson on previous occasions, and was now intended to carry a spectroscopic camera of new construction sent out by the Royal Society for use on this occasion. There was also a small heliostat, with a photospectroscopic arrangement in which the Janssen apparatus used at the transit of Venus was to be utilised for obtaining on the same plate several pictures of the solar spectrum before, during, and after totality. An apparatus was also provided for tracing the outline of the corona on semi-transparent plates placed at the focus of a telescope, giving an image of about one inch in diameter. Signor Tacchini had with him the excellent spectro-telescope he had used at Muddapur to observe the transit of Venus, and a portable observatory. The expedition left Galle on the 18th, and reached Camorta on March 22. Here they found that a suitable station had been cleared and prepared for them on an elevated site overlooking the harbour, marked on the chart as Battery Point. It consisted of two spurs connected by a narrow ridge, and the English party occupied one of the spurs while the Indian party, with Tacchini, established themselves on the other. Mr. de Roepstorff, the settlement officer deputed to assist the expedition, had already built a hut for unpacking the instruments and stores, and constructed a good road from the landing-place to the top of the hill. He had also got together large supplies of posts, mats, and leaf-thatched roofs, for constructing huts to shelter the instruments, with bricks and building materials. The first thing to do was to land and set up the tents that had been brought from Calcutta for both parties. When this had been done the instruments and stores were landed, and the work of preparation commenced in earnest. Ample assistance was given in the way of convict labourers, though skilled workmen and mechanics were rather scarce. The general arrangements were completed about April 1, and after a day or two spent in adjusting instruments and preparing and testing chemicals, the first rehearsals were gone through on the 4th and repeated on the 5th, when all was finally ready. The state of the weather during the eclipse was an unfortunate termination to the labours of the party. It only remained to pack up and return to Calcutta. Photographs of,the instruments and station were taken. …" (Illustrated London News, loc. cit.)