Eclipse Observations at Manua, Samoa 205 



position, azimuth, and time, all of which had to be done on the morning of the daj' of the 

 eclipse. Unfortunatel}', owing to the bad weather of the day before, it had not been pos- 

 sible to place the photographic apparatus in final position so as to try out the finding tele- 

 scope, attached to the camera, until a few minutes before the eclipse. Lieutenant McDowell 

 then learned to his chagrin that the finder did not work satisfactorily, and hence was obliged 

 to get up some simple device with the aid of which he might keep the Sun's disk as central 

 as possible on the photographic plates and eliminate the diurnal motion. For orientation 

 of the camera-tubes in azimuth and altitude, it was necessarj' to resort to the preliminary 

 lines which I had established the day before with the aid of an approximate value of the 

 magnetic declination and my calculated azimuths and altitudes of the Sun for the totality 

 phases. For a general view of the echpse station at Tau, see Plate 10, Fig. 1. 



I was prevented from rendering further assistance to the photographic party, as I was 

 obliged at the critical moment to be inside the magnetic obser\nng-tent, the recorder having 

 sent an urgent call owdng to trouble with the lamp which lighted up the magnet-scale. 

 However, Abbot's program calling for a 15-second exposure (one with each plate), and the 

 other as long as possible, about a minute, again with each plate, was carried out bj' Lieu- 

 tenant IVIcDowell and his assistants as carefully as possible. Four photographs of the 

 eclipse were thus secured, two exposures of L5 seconds and two of 70 seconds; upon develop- 

 ment of the plates at Apia, it was found that one of the plates was originally defective, being 

 full of pin holes, and another was light-struck. The better one of the short-exposure plates 

 is reproduced in Fig. 3, Plate 10. 



It will be seen that the improvised sighting-device had not been wholly successful, and 

 the photographs, accordingly, exhibit slight defects due to diurnal motion. Apart, however, 

 from these defects, the photographs show clearly not only the inner corona but also most 

 interesting details and coronal extensions reaching out more than one-half of the Sun's 

 diameter. The form of the present corona is in conformity with that observed by others 

 near a Sun-spot minimum. 



I had just completed my azimuth observations when, looking through the telescope, 

 it was found that the eclipse had already begun, viz, at about S*" 52" a. m. local mean 

 time. How ever, the two parties who had been intrusted with observing the times of con- 

 tact obtained all four. Totality began about lO*" 07"" and lasted, according to the ship 

 part}', 2" 03^, and according to the shore party, 1" 59"5, which is as satisfactorj- an agree- 

 ment as could be expected with the limited observing means sextant telescope aboard ship 

 and a powerful field-glass ashore. The final contact occurred about IP 32" a. m. The 

 approximate position of our station, according to my solar observations with the theodolite 

 of magnetometer No. 14, was 14 14' S. and 169 33' W. of Greenwich. 



Words will inadequately describe the mingled feelings one has when the supreme 

 moment arrives for which more or less extensive preparations have been made. We were in 

 a mo.st beautiful tropical country, surrounded by luxuriant cocoanut and banana groves; 

 from our station it was not possible to command an extensive view, and so we could not 

 experience the sensations others have had with the swiftlj- approaching shadow. Neither 

 I, nor any one whom I saw, many natives being close by, .showed any .signs of depression. 

 The natives, to be sure, had been thoroughly instructed the day before regarding the great 

 event. There was a feehng almost of exhilaration, even during absolute totahty. 



The rough notes made at the time read as follows: Corona not pronounced, appeared 

 like a mere ragged fringe of soft, pearh' light ; slight indication of streamers, which appeared 

 somewhat longer near the poles. Small filaments almost completely around the disk. 

 No absolute darkness; could readily read my writing. Weather very fine throughout the 

 day; not showery at any time an experience unusual for this tropical region, especially 

 at this time of the year. 



Later, after the development of the photographs, the following note was added: 

 Observed the eclipse through the telescope of the theodoHte accompanying magnetometer 



