In Phoenix Group

N.Z. Party Will Observe Total Eclipse in 1937

From Our N.Z. Correspondent

Auckland, May 30.

A PARTY of New Zealand astronomers will visit the Phoenix Islands, an un inhabited group of coral islands not far south of the equator, next year, to ob serve the total solar eclipse, which will occur on June 8.

The expedition, which is being organised by Mr. C. B. Michie, of Auckland, will comprise six members, several of whom took part in the N.Z. Solar Eclipse Expe dition in 1930 to Niuafoou, Tongan Islands.

It will be sponsored by the N.Z. Depart ment of Scientific and Industrial Re search. As it will be the only party ob serving the eclipse, the expedition will be equipped with the 19ft. coelostat and coro nagraph, which has been made available by the Astronomer Royal.

The party will be landed at Canton Island by one of the warships of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, which will bring them back to Auckland again. No drinking water is available on the island, so H.M.S. Leith is taking two 100 gallon tanks and rain catchment units there on its Pacific cruise this win ter.

The Phoenix Group comprises about a dozen small islands, with a total land area of 19 square miles. They lie due north of Samoa, and are of little economic import ance. Canton Island (also known as Mary Island), where the expedition will set up its camp, is eight miles long and four

wide. It is covered with stunted vegeta tion, except at the southern end, where there are coconut groves. Formerly it had large deposits of guano, but these are mostly worked out.

Some of the islands of this group— notably Howland and Baker—achieved much prominence last year when Ameri can interests began to plan a trans-Paciflc air service from Honolulu to Samoa, These islands are on the direct route.

For a decade or more it had been taken for granted that these islands were British, but early in 1936 America estab lished a small colony of Hawaiians on Baker and Howland and claimed them as her own. After considering the whole position Britain resolved that she would not dispute the claim.