at Pntna and Futtehporg. 249 



the continuance of the eclipse, and a few cirri were observed 

 floating through the sky after its termination. At two a. m. 

 next morning, the weather began to blow, thunder, and hght- 

 ning, and 1.003 inch of rain fell. On the ^9th May, after 

 sunset, a singular semicircular band coloured with a deeper 

 blue than the surrounding sky was observed ; its bases rest- 

 ing about as many degrees north of the real east and west as 

 corresponded with the sun's amplitude. The breadth of this 

 baud was about 4°. Next morning, before sunrise, the Hi- 

 malaya mountains were distinctly visible. The distance of some 

 of these hills is as great as 160 miles in a direct line ; of others 

 somewhat less. When the sun rises they vanish. 



June. — On the 7th, at seven hours ten minutes p. m. a fire- 

 ball fell from the zenith in a south easterly direction. The ball 

 was as large as Venus, and left a broken trail of light behind 

 it. Next evening a beautiful fire-ball moved slowly from west 

 to east over a distance of nearly S'i*', leaving at intervals a 

 trail of fire. On the nights of the 12th and 13th, the moon 

 was surrounded with a discoid halo, tinged with a reddish brown 

 colour. On the 20th the increase of water in the Ganges was 

 very marked, and portions of the bed of the river left dry 

 since the past year began to be covered with water, although 

 since the ist May only 2.24j6 inches of rain had fallen at 

 Patna. 



July. — At sunset of the 3d a large corona formed round 

 the sun. The sky at sunset of the 6th presented a beautiful 

 appearance, clouds of bright green (portending rain,) being 

 surrounded with others coloured scarlet. At night, coronae 

 formed round the planets and large stars, and on the 8th, 

 2.249 inches of rain fell. From the 1st to the 14th rain fell 

 daily. 



August 30th.— While in a boat on the Ganges I observed 

 a curious optical deception. A very violent shower of rain, 

 attended with strong wind, swept from the opposite bank of 

 the river, and the sky and the river became of one colour and 

 indistinguishable the one from the, other. The distant bank, 

 with its trees, &c. appeared exactly like a picture depicted on 

 the clouds. The appearance did not last long. 



November 14th. — A total eclipse of the moon took place. 



