or wisdom and
could say nothing.

The policy of Commodore (afterward Rear-Admiral) Sands, the incoming
superintendent, toward the professors was liberal in the last degree.
Each was to receive due credit for what he did, and was in every way
stimulated to do his best at any piece of scientific work he might
undertake with the approval of the superintendent. Whether he wanted
to observe an eclipse, determine the longitude of a town or interior
station, or undertake some abstruse investigation, every facility
for doing it and every encouragement to go on with it was granted him.

Under this policy the observatory soon reached the zenith of
its fame and popularity. Whenever a total eclipse of the sun was
visible in an accessible region parties were sent out to observe it.
In 1869 three professors, I being one, were sent to Des Moines,
Iowa, to observe the solar eclipse which passed across the country
in June of that year. As a part of this work, I prepared and the
observatory issued a detailed set of instructions to observers in
towns at each edge of the shadow-path to note the short duration of
totality. The object was to determine the exact point to which the
shadow extended. At this same eclipse Professor Harkness shared with
Professor Young of Princeton the honor of discovering the brightest
line in the spectrum of the sun's corona. The year following parties
were sent to the Mediterranean to observe an eclipse which occurred
in December, 1870. I went to Gibraltar, although the observation of
the eclipse was to me only a minor object. Some incidents connected
with this European trip will be described in a subsequent chapter.

The reports of the eclipse parties not only described the scientific
observations in great detail, but also the travels and experiences,
and were sometimes marked by a piquancy not common in official
documents. These reports, others pertaining to longitude, and
investigations of various kinds were published in full and distributed
with great liberality. All this activity grew out of the stimulating
power and careful attention to business of the head of the observatory
and the ability of the young professors of his staff. It was very
pleasant to the latter to wear the brilliant uniform of their rank,
enjoy the protection of the Navy Department, and be looked upon,
one and all, as able official astronomers. The voice of one of our
scientific men who returned from a visit abroad declar