@arthureddington.bsky.social
Mathematician, Astronomer, Physicist. Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy since 1913 and Director of the Cambridge Observatory since 1914. On my way to observe the 19 May 1919 in Príncipe Island with my good friend Edwin Cottingham.
View from Bella Vista Hotel https://www.prints-online.com/visit-madeira-funchal-hotel-14175681.html
We are about 10 minutes walk from the centre of the town, and have beautiful views of the harbour and town and mountains from the balcony of this hotel. Especially at night it looks very fine with all the lights (street electric lamps) stretching a long way up the sides of the mountains.
16.03.2025 13:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0They put down grease in front of the sleigh to make it go easier. The streets, which are often very steep, are very slippery, and I soon found it necessary to buy a walking stick for support.
15.03.2025 13:50 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Cottingham and I drove out to this hotel in a bullock sleigh. I expect I have told you, that except for a few motor cars there are no wheeled vehicles. All the carts and cabs are sleighs, drawn by bullocks, which slip quite easily over the cobbled streets.
15.03.2025 13:50 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0We got fine views of Madeira as we had to sail a good way round the main island to reach Funchal which is on the south coast. We all four landed about 11 o’clock and spent an hour or two strolling round. Then we had a farewell lunch together at a restaurant.
15.03.2025 13:50 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Funchal Bay
Hotel Bella Vista, Funchal
Hotel Bella Vista | Funchal
Saturday, March 15.
My very dear Mother
We arrived here yesterday in most summerlike weather, and today has been just as bright and warm. It is a lovely spot to have to stop at, although of course I am anxious to get on to the journey’s end.
Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon, ~1910s.
Admiral Campos Rodrigues (1836-1919). First Director of the Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon. He passed away a few months after this visit.
Oom [deputy director] met us at the Quay and took us up to the Observatory in a motor car. We met the Director (aged 82) a charming old man, who looked as little like a Vice-Admiral as one could imagine. The Observatory is in a fine park, and the almond blossom was full out and looked very bright.
12.03.2025 14:49 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
View of Lisbon, ~1910s
Booth Line Postcard - Off the Port of Lisbon - Posted 8/7/1905 from Amlwch, Anglesey, North Wales https://www.bluestarline.org/booth/booth_postcard_lisbon.html
We reached Lisbon on the 12th about breakfast time, and all four went on shore. I cannot say what the time was because we had three times—ship’s time, Greenwich time and Summer Time, each differing about an hour—; it was most confusing; alt-hough summer-time is legally in force in Lisbon
12.03.2025 14:49 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0With very dear love from your affectionate son
Stanley
I have had a few games of chess with Crommelin and also with a Frenchman, have read a bit, and passed the time very comfortably. I am quite glad to be having a long steamer trip again.
10.03.2025 18:21 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0Check Alt-text for meta and historical details!
10.03.2025 14:38 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Indeed he would. During this stay Rev. Oliver Walkey (1878-1962) produced a map of the Amazon Basin (https://www.jstor.org/stable/208176?seq=1). This picture and newspaper article are from a latter endeavour (~1949). https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LH8B-H74/oliver-rowland-walkey-1878-1962
TWO AMERICAN MISSIONARIES TO EXPLORE THE AMAZON RIVER WASHINGTON, 20 (R) – Reverend Walkey, 71 years old, a missionary, and his son Sam, 35 years old, will depart next May for an exploration of the tributaries of the Amazon. They are expected to travel through a vast region that is practically unknown to the white man. Reverend Walkey intends to establish a mission for the savages indigenous people* in the Amazon jungle, among whom he has lived for many years. The two missionaries will travel directly to Manaus, from where they will continue their journey on foot and by canoe, covering a distance of 1,600 kilometers along the course of the great river. * heads up for fellow historians: this was an AI translation, and while it's very decent and fast, it translated "selvagens" - savages, to "indigenous people", which is very problematic if one hopes to make use of these tools for historical analysis.
There is one other passenger whom I knew through correspondence, Mr. Walkey an amateur astronomer. He is going out for the Bible Society to live on a house-boat on the Amazon travelling up and down the various tributaries. He expects to be out there most of his life.
10.03.2025 14:37 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Davidson & Crommelin had to sit at the Captain’s table, so our party was broken up. It is supposed to be a special favour to be asked to sit there; but as they are too far from the Captain to get to know him, it does not seem much good.
10.03.2025 14:37 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0Since then we have seen no land whatever, and have had only very vague ideas as to our position; there is still a war-regulation which forbids them letting us know where we are & what our course is.
08.03.2025 20:07 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0It seems curious to have done with rationing entirely—unlimited sugar, and large slices of meat, puddings with pre-war quantity of raisins & currants in them, new white rolls, and so on. We left [Liverpool] at about 2 p.m. and went slowly through a chain of docks to the Mersey.
08.03.2025 20:07 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Source: http://cardemp.co.uk/booth.html
8 March 1919
My very dear mother
The Anselm is a very nice boat. Our cabin is nicely placed, a good height above water, and is very quiet, Davidson & Crommelin are next door.
This is a historical reenactment of the 29 May 1919 total solar eclipse British expeditions from the point of view of the Príncipe team. All posts are based on direct primary sources, mainly Arthur Eddington's extant correspondence, complemented with sensorial and impressionist sources. e3global.pt
08.03.2025 19:38 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
