380 Transactions. — Astronomy. 



heavy bank of clouds rising, looking dangerous enough to mar 

 the event of the day. A stray cloud creeps near to the path of 

 the sun, becomes illuminated, changing colour rapidly, ending 

 with the silver lining, and the sun appears above the dark, 

 ragged line of the tops of the distant New Zealand bush, per- 

 fectly clear of clouds ; as it rises, three bands of clouds cross 

 its face. This ominous indication soon disappears, and the sun 

 is in its full splendour, revealing to the telescope two large 

 groups of sun spots and facula? in its eastern and western lirnbs. 

 A peculiar ruddy tint now appears over the sun, caused 

 probably by cosmic dust or earth vapour. As the sun rises to 

 about 10° this ruddy tint disappears, and we patiently await the 

 first contact of the moon, the first indication of which is a 

 roughening of the sun's edge, and an appearance of dark pellets 

 on the rim at contact. This is soon obscured by the sharp edge 

 of the moon, the circular dent of which, in the sun's face, 

 becomes clear, and the eclipse has fairly started. Gradually the 

 moon creeps in along the path of the sun spots, the march of 

 which becomes obliterated ; and when it has obscured the sun 

 by about one-fourth, the visible edge of tne moon is tinged with 

 an orange-yellow tint. This extends to about two minutes of 

 space, and was observable until the sun was more than three- 

 quarters obscured. The changing shape of the sun, as it was 

 gradually obscured by the moon, was particularly interesting ; 

 and as it acquired the crescent shape, light began to diminish, 

 and the atmosphere got very cold. The horns of the crescent sun 

 were strongly tinged with deep orange ; and when the crescent 

 became very fine, it appeared to me at one time that a portion of 

 it was obscured before the time, which must have been caused 

 by an irregularity in the moon's edge. The eventful moment 

 approaches : there is just a thin strip of the sun now visible, 

 which scintillates like the stars, and the light is like that from 

 the electric arc, of a bluish tint, and all shadows are sharp ; 

 there is a weird appearance over everything. . . . Suddenly 

 the shape of the moon begins to show beyond the visible edge 

 on the sun, and soon the whole of the moon is visible — a 

 blacker circle in a black background. Instantly the corona 

 appears as an encircling light, opposite to where the sun yet 

 shines, fully ten seconds before totality ; when of a sudden, as 

 if the moon, gradually toiling on, made one last effort, it took 

 one great leap and obliterated the sun, as if for ever ; it was, 

 indeed, awe-inspiring, and it is impossible to describe the feeling 

 of the moment. Immediately the sun disappeared, there was a 

 beautiful transformation scene. It appeared as if the sun's 

 place was occupied by a beautiful black jet ornament, set with 

 scarlet points, and fringed with strings of pearls. 

 Twenty minutes after the total eclipse, the sun was obscured by 

 clouds." 



