*777' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 385 



rain ; so that we had little hopes of an observation. 

 About nine o'clock the sun broke out at intervals 

 for about half an hour ; after which it was totally 

 obscured till within a minute or two of the beginning 

 of the eclipse. We were all at our telescopes, viz! 

 Mr. Bayly, Mr. King, Captain Clerke, Mr. BJigh, 

 and myself. I lost the observation by not having a 

 dark glass at hand, suitable to the clouds that were 

 continually passing over the sun ; and Mr. Bligh had 

 not got the sun into the field of his telescope ; so 

 that the commencement of the eclipse was only ob- 

 served by the other three gentlemen, and by them 

 with an uncertainty of several seconds, as follows : 



h. m. s. 



By Mr. Bayly, at 11 46 23*1 



Mr. King, at 11 46 28 > Apparent time. 



Capt. Clerke, at 11 47 5 ) 



Mr. Bayly and Mr. King observed with the 

 achromatic telescopes, belonging to the board of 

 longitude, of equal magnifying powers ; and Cap- 

 tain Clerke observed with one of the reflectors. 

 The sun appeared at intervals, till about the middle 

 of the eclipse ; after which it was seen no more 

 during the day ; so that the end could not be ob- 

 served. The disappointment was of little conse- 

 quence, since the longitude was more than suffi- 

 ciently determined, independently of this eclipse, by 

 lunar observations, which will be mentioned here- 

 after. 



As soon as we knew the eclipse to be over, we 

 packed up the instruments, took down the observ- 

 atories, and sent every thing on board that had not 

 been already removed. As none of the natives had 

 taken the least notice or care of the three sheep 

 allotted to Mareewagee, I ordered them to be car- 

 ried back to the ships. I was apprehensive, that, if 

 I had left them here, they run great risk of being de- 

 stroyed by dogs. That animal did not exist upon 



vol. v. c c 



