THEPACIFICOCEAN. 327 



fhief could not be found out, the people were all afTembled '777- 



together before him, when he waflied his hands in water in < „ ' 



this vefTel ; after which it was cleaned, and then the whole 

 multitude advanced, one after another, and touched it in the 

 fame manner that they touch his foot, when they pay him 

 obeifance. If the guilty perfon touched it, he died imme- 

 diately upon the fpot ; not by violence, but by the hand of 

 Providence ; and if any one refufed to touch it, his refufal 

 was a clear proof that he was the man. 



In the morning of the j-th, the day of the eclipfe, the Saturday;,. 

 ■weather was dark and cloudy, with fliowers of rain ; fo 

 that we had little hopes of an obfervation. About nine 

 o'clock the fun broke out at intervals for about half an hour; 

 after which it was totally obfcured, till within a minute or 

 two of the beginning of the eclipfe. We were all at our 

 telefcopes, viz. Mr. Bayly, Mr. King, Captain Gierke, Mr. 

 Bligh, and myfelf. I loft the obfervation, by not having a 

 dark glafs at hand, fuitable to the clouds that were conti- 

 nually palling over the fun ; and Mr. Bligh had not got; 

 the fun into the field of his telefcope ; fo that the com- 

 mencement of the eclipfe was only obferved by the other 

 three gentlemen ; and by them, with an uncertainty of fe— 

 veral feconds, as follows: 



H. M. S. 



B^. Mr. Bayly, at n 46 23^' 



Mr. King, at 1 1 46 28 I Apparent time. . 

 Capt. Gierke, at 1 1 47 5 



Mr. Bayly and Mr. King, obferved, with the achromatic 

 telefcopes, belonging to the board of longitude, of equal 

 magnifying powers ; and Gaptain Gierke obferved with one 

 of the reflcctois. The fun appeared at intervals, till about 

 the middle of the eclipfe ; after which it was feen no more 



during 



