SECOND MEETING. 

 RoYAi. Institution. — November 3, 1851. 

 J. B. YATES, Esq., F.S.A., &c., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. Edward Hebson was elected an Ordinary Member. 

 The President read the following Letter from George Wilxiams, Esq., 



ON THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF JULY 28, 1851. 



On the 19th of July, 1851, I sailed from Hull in the company of 

 Mr. Lassell and Mr. Stanistreet, and touching at Christiania, we arrived 

 at Gothenborg, in Sweden, on the 24th, from whence we proceeded to 

 Trollhatten, the place from which we had decided to view the eclipse. 



The time prior to the day of the eclipse was occupied in preparing 

 our instruments; selecting a neighbouring eminence for the observa- 

 tions, taking altitudes for time, and inspecting the magnificent water- 

 fell. The sky for many days had been overcast, and much rain had 

 fallen. On the morning of the 28th (the day of the eclipse) the heavens 

 appeared covered with one impenetrable stratum of clouds, and the 

 wind became so high, that we at once abandoned the idea of setting up 

 the instruments in the open air, and determined to make our observa- 

 tions from the windows of our rooms, which fortunately commanded a 

 considerable extent of view, ranging from about N.E. by S. to N. 



As the day advanced we watched the aspect of the sky with intense 

 anxiety. A little before noon the clouds began to break, occasional 

 gleams of sunshine appeared, these increased in duration, until at length 

 the sun shone forth in full splendour. On Plate I., Fig. 1, are 

 sketched the maculae, a. b., then visible on the sun's disc. 



The heat of the sun now became intense, the two dark glasses which 

 I had been in the habit of using for the last five years, gave way and 

 cracked. My friends also lost several sun glasses, we were therefore 

 deprived of the use of these when they were most needed. The 

 intensity of the calorific rays may possibly be due to the clear and 

 highly transparent atmosphere of Sweden, rather than to a variation in 

 the component parts of the spectrum, but of this I am unable to give 

 a further opinion. 



;My telescope had an aperture of 2| inches, with a 42-inch focus, and 



