Total Eclipse of August 7, 1869. 199 



found, although I have no recollection of it, by which I 

 recorded their position, only in a different manner. 



The internal structure of the great protuberance was 

 remarkable. It appeared to me to be interlaced with 

 long narrow black stripes crossing each other like irre- 

 gular lattice work. To my eye, from first to last, this 

 feature of it, was one of its distinctive characteristics. 



To compare it with something familiar, I would say it 

 looked like a ship with her hull, masts, spars, etc., painted 

 red, and the ropes painted black. It also looked like a 

 red, inverted capital W, interlaced with fine black lines. 

 I watched its disappearance with strict attention, and am 

 able to give you data for computing it. As the light in- 

 creased, it did not gradually fade away in all its parts, as 

 I expected it would, but instead, it began to disappear on 

 the left side as soon as the slender lune of the sun arrived di- 

 rectly under it. When it, arrived at the centre of its base, 

 the left half, and no more had disappeared ; not a gradual 

 fading away, but sudden extinction as though some mov- 

 ing object had interposed itself between me and it, and 

 had a progressive motion equal to the advancing lune. 

 It was a most beautiful sight to see it thus disappear a 

 little at a time. 



Another protuberance shaped like a hook was visible on 

 the right side, about 90° from the other. I find it re- 

 corded at 118°. It was of unequal width throughout, and 

 had it continued on in its normal direction, would have been 

 nearly as high as the great one. At about a quarter of 

 its distance from the end, it was bent upwards at an ob- 

 tuse angle. You will find it represented in the drawing. 

 It looks to me absurd, to suppose a cloud would ever as- 

 sume such a singular shape, and yet the same thing has 

 been seen before. 



The most wonderful thing about the eclipse, I will now 

 describe. I will not undertake to say it was real, but to 



