After this work was completed and the results published in 1885, nothing was done in this line by the Bureau of Navigation for some years. Upon the return of the writer in the spring of 1888, from a cruise in the South Pacific, he found that the subject of sending an expedition to complete the measurements in Mexico and Central America was under consideration in the Bureau of Navigation and the Hydrographic office. It was finally decided that the work should be done, and the writer was placed in charge. The instruments were brought out of their retirement, and by the aid of the Hydrographic Office a very complete outfit was furnished, and in November of last year a start was made from New York, the expedition proceeding by mail steamer to Vera Cruz. Here the spot occupied by Lieut. Com. Davis in '83 was found, his transit pier, which was still standing was repaired, and instruments mounted. Lieut. Charles Laird, U. S. N., who had been identified with the longitude work since the China expedition in 1881, was left in charge of the observatory at Vera Cruz, and the writer proceeded with his party to the small town of Coatzacoalcos, at the mouth of the river of the same name. This point is about one hundred and twenty miles southeast of Vera Cruz, and is the landing place of the cable. A land line extends from this point to Salina Cruz on the Pacific coast, a distance of about two hundred miles. In exchanging time signals between Vera Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, the automatic method was employed, the cable being short. The old wooden observatories were used at these points, but as they were too heavy for transportation across the Isthmus, tents made especially for astronomical purposes were substituted for them in the observations made on the Pacific coast. The journey across the Isthmus was slow, about two weeks being employed in traveling two hundred miles, though as the route was devious, the actual distance was nearer three hundred. Some of the instruments were heavy, and after being taken in canoes a hundred miles up the Coatzacoalcos river, against a rapid current, they were loaded on a train of pack mules, and carried the rest of the way by land. While the first party was crossing the Isthmus, the other was on its way from Vera Cruz, and being ready at about the same time, a successful measurement was made between Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, exchanging signals automatically. The Coatzacoalcos party then crossed to Salina Cruz, while the other proceeded to La Libertad in Salvador, where the station established in the Spring of '84, was again occupied. The measurement between these places being completed, the Libertad party went on to San Juan del Sur, in Nicaragua, near the terminus of the proposed interoceanic canal. In the measurement between this point and Salina Cruz, as well as in the one preceding, the exchange was effected by mirror signals. This completed the season's work, and the two parties made the best of their way home via Panama, arriving in Washington in April and May respectively. The computation of the observations is not yet complete though well advanced; it was the intention to publish preliminary results this Fall, but owing to lack of time that can not be done.
Another piece of work is laid out for the same party for the coming winter, which is the measurement from Santiago de Cuba, through Hayti and San Domingo to La Guayra in Venezuela, over the cables of a French company, which have just been completed. This work will consume about six months, and the expedition which is to start almost immediately will probably return in April or May next. The determination of the longitude of La Guayra will give a point from which many other measurements may be made along the north coast of South America, furnishing material for extensive corrections of the charts of that region.
Having presented an outline of the work done so far, as well as that proposed for the near future, I will now mention some of the trials and tribulations, as well as the pleasures experienced in carrying out the object desired in an expedition of this kind. The greatest politeness and kindness have always been experienced from the officials and employees of the various telegraph companies over whose lines work has been carried on. The government officials of the foreign countries visited, have also invariably shown the utmost politeness, but sometimes this politeness has been visibly tinged with suspicion. The measurements in Peru and Chili were made amid the closing scenes of the war between the countries. Upon the arrival of the expedition in Lima, an interview was had with the Chilian Commander-in-Chief who had possession of the city, and permission was requested and readily granted to occupy a station in Arica. Upon arriving at the latter place some days after, the Chilian governor in charge was found to have instructions to facilitate the work, and readily granted permission to establish the observatory in a convenient locality, but flatly refused to allow a wire to be extended to the telegraph office, and also refused to forward to his immediate superior, a request that it might be allowed. He evidently supposed the party were emissaries of the United States, sent to treat secretly with conquered Peru, but how he expected this was to be done remains a secret. By a vigorous use of the telegraph in communicating with the U. S. Ministers to both Chili and Peru, his objections were silenced, and the wire was put up. The observatory at Arica was erected on the side of a hill to the windward of the town, because it afforded a clear view, and was less dirty than other eligible sites. It also was a safe position in case of a possible earthquake or tidal wave, by which Arica had already been twice visited with disastrous effect. In digging for a foundation for the transit pier, several mummies of the ancient Peruvians were unearthed at a depth of a foot. They had evidently belonged to the poorer class of people, as their wrappings were composed of coarse mats, instead of the fine cloth with which the wealthier people were usually interred. One was the body of a female with long hair, which had been turned to a reddish yellow color by the alkali in the soil. The whole coast of Peru is barren and desolate, except in the river valleys, it being seldom visited by rain, while it is nearly always overhung with heavy clouds and fog banks, which render astronomical work exceedingly difficult. Even when partially clear in the day time, it generally becomes cloudy at night. Many times the observer would be at his place before sunset ready to seize the first suitable star revealed by the darkness, only to be baffled by thick banks of cloud which would cover the entire sky in from five to ten minutes.
In northern Peru, with a latitude of about five degrees south, is the town of Paita. It is an assemblage of mud-colored houses, at the foot of high, mud colored bluffs. On top of these bluffs is a perfectly barren table land extending inland and up and down the coast for many miles. Before visiting it the observers were informed that its one good point was the perfect astronomical weather which always prevailed. Clouds were unknown, and such a thing as rain had never been heard of. The extreme dryness of the atmosphere was so favorable to health that no one ever died, and when a consumptive invalid was imported by the inhabitants in the hope of starting a cemetery, he blasted their expectations by recovering. Judge then of their feeling, when upon arriving at this delightful place, they were met with the information that while it was true that the sky was, in general, perfectly clear both by night and day, yet about once in seven years, rain could be expected, and that the year then present was the rainy one. And sure enough it did rain. The usually dusty streets became rivers and quagmires, the rocky valleys in the vicinity were transformed into roaring torrents, and the table land usually an arid desert became a swamp with a rank growth of vegetation. However by using every opportunity and snatching stars between clouds and showers the work was finally completed.
Upon arriving in Panama shortly after this experience, the party was met with the pleasant intelligence that yellow fever was prevalent, and that the foreigners were dying like sheep. Nearly every day of the party's stay, some one died of sufficient importance to have the church bells tolled for his funeral, while of the ordinary people little notice was taken. Every morning, the writer remembers passing a carpenter's shop where nothing was made but coffins, and the supply was evidently not equal to the demand, for finally the proprietor began to import them, apparently by the ship load. The weather however was delightful, and the nights were the most perfect, astronomically speaking, that could be desired.
The observers who went from Japan to Vladivostok were obliged to wait several weeks at Nagasaki, before an opportunity offered for proceeding to their destination, and when they finally arrived, the getting away again was a problem. Communication with the outside world by water was only open during the summer months, and even then it was more accidental than otherwise. The party established the observatory however, and settled down to work, letting the future take care of itself. In the early part of the work, rather an amusing incident occurred. As the community was full of all sorts and conditions of men, Koreans, Chinamen and Russian exiles, the last not political but criminal offenders; it was thought wise to have a sentry stationed at the observatory to guard against any possible harm to the instruments. So the Governor of the town was asked to furnish a soldier for that purpose, which request was readily granted, and one night the sentry was posted with orders to let no one touch the observatory. These orders he construed literally, and when the observers appeared to commence their night's work, he kept them off at the point of the bayonet. His only language being Russian with which the observers were not familiar, it was impossible to explain the true state of affairs, and it was only after hunting up an interpreter and communicating with his commanding officer that an entry was finally effected. A good deal of bad weather was experienced at this place, but at the end of six weeks enough observations had been made for the required purpose, and the party was fortunate enough to secure passage to Nagasaki, in a small steamer that had brought a load of coal out from Germany.
In the expedition to the Asiatic coast one of the most interesting experiences was the trip to Manila in the Philippine Islands. This is quite a large town when intact, but a great portion of it is usually in the condition of being shaken down by an earthquake or blown over by a typhoon. The inhabitants are full of energy, however, and find time between downfalls to build up again. The cable from Hong Kong lands at a point about one hundred and twenty miles from Manila, and the writer was directed to proceed thither, with a chronometer and chronograph for the purpose of transmitting time signals. The first part of the journey was made in a small coasting steamer uncommonly dirty, and occupied about thirty-six hours. At the end of that time the village of Sual in the Gulf of Lingayen was reached. This was distant from the cable station about thirty miles, and the remainder of the journey was made in a native boat, with mat sails, and bamboo outriggers, part of the time through channels between numerous small islands and for some distance in the open sea. The progress was slow, but it was a pleasant way of traveling, except for the sleeping accommodations which were primitive; consisting of a palm leaf mat thrown over a platform made of split bamboo, in which all the knots had been carefully preserved. About three days, including stoppages, were consumed in this thirty mile voyage, and the traveler finally reached his destination to be received with the greatest hospitality by the staff at the telegraph station, and just in time to allay the fears of the observers at Hong Kong and Manila who had begun to think him lost. About three weeks were spent here, and as the work only occupied a short time at night, the days were pleasantly passed in exploring the surrounding country, making friends with the natives, shooting and photographing the scenery. The return to Manila was by the same route and occupied nearly the same length of time.
The measurement from Singapore to Madras was over one of the longest lines of cable ever used for this purpose, the distance being about 1600 nautical miles. The Atlantic cables used by Dr. Gould in 1866 were a little more than 1,850 miles in length. There was an intermediate station at Penang about 400 miles from Singapore, where all the work of the line was repeated. For the longitude measurement however the cables were connected through to form an unbroken line. The mirror was the only instrument that could be used and even with this the signals were feeble and much affected by earth currents.
The observing parties have never been troubled by wild beasts, but while at Saigon in Cochin, China, a rifle was always kept handy for use in case of the appearance of a tiger. The observatory here was located near the edge of a jungle, and alongside the telegraph station, on the veranda of which a large tiger had been shot by one of the operators only a short time before.
In the expedition of last winter to Mexico and Central America, the principal annoyance was caused by insects which were numerous and malignant. At Coatzacoalcos they were found in the greatest abundance, though the whole isthmus of Tehuantepec is alive with them. Fleas and mosquitoes were expected of course, but added to this were numerous others much worse. Of the family of "ticks" four varieties were seen and felt, ranging in size from almost microscopic to a length of a third of an inch. The most numerous were about as large as a grain of mustard seed, and one who walked or rode through the bushes or high grass would find himself literally covered. One of the worst insects encountered was the "nigua" which is in appearance something like a small flea. It burrows into the toes and soles of the feet, lays a number of eggs, which hatch and produce painful sores. A gruesome story is current in that region, about an enthusiastic English naturalist, who found specimens of these encamped in his feet, and concluded to take them home in that way, in order to observe the effect, but died of them before reaching England. All the party were afflicted with these pests, but were always fortunate enough to discover them and dig them out with the point of a knife before any bad results were experienced. The village of Coatzacoalcos is prettily situated, the climate, especially in winter, is very agreeable and the river offers a commodious harbor, but as long as the insects are so unpleasant, few people will care to live there if they can avoid it.