The Galaxy, or Milky Way, surrounds the borders of our island in space
like a stellar garland, and when openings appear in it they are, by
contrast, far more impressive than the general darkness of the
interstellar expanse seen in other directions. Yet even that expanse
is not everywhere equally dark, for it contains gloomy deeps
discernable with careful watching. Here, too, contrast plays an
important part, though less striking than within the galactic region.
Some of Sir William Herschel's observations appear to indicate an
association between these tenebrious spots and neighboring star clouds
and nebul?. It is an illuminating bit of astronomical history that
when he was sweeping the then virgin heavens with his great telescopes
he was accustomed to say to his sister who, note-book in hand, waited
at his side to take down his words, fresh with the inspiration of
discovery: ``Prepare to write; the nebul? are coming; here space is
vacant.''
The most famous of the ``coal-sacks,'' and the first to be brought to
general attention before astronomers had awakened to the significance
of such things, lies adjacent to the ``Southern Cross,'' and is truly
an amazing phenomenon. It is not alone the conspicuousness of this
celestial vacancy, opening suddenly in the midst of one of the richest
parts of the Galaxy, that has given it its fame, but quite as much the
superstitious awe with which it was regarded by the early explorers of
the South Seas.
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