Solar Eclipse of July, 1860. 377 



measurements, being provided with micrometers of peculiar con- 

 struction, devised by Yvon Villarceau for rapid and easy manipu- 

 lations in the dark. Two excellent telescopes of 6 inch aperture 

 (one tor the use of the Spanish observers) were also provided, to 

 which must be added the photographic apparatus, a meridian 

 circle, chronometers, barometers, seekers, and lastly the great 

 meridian instrument belonging to the War Department, and 

 with which the longitude was determined — forming a grand total 

 of scientific baggage which on the 28th of June, was dispatched 

 for Spain. The outfit of the English expedition was even yet 

 more considerable. Early in July, Mr. Yvon Villarceau joined 

 the instruments at Tudela in the centre of Spain, on the banks of 

 the Ebro, and immediately proceeded with them to Tarazonaand 

 to the chosen station called the Sanctuaire, 1,400 metres(=4592 

 feet) above the sea. M. Le Verrier and Foucault, fearing clouds, 

 descended on the morning of the 18th to a plateau near the ceme- 

 tery of Tarazona where the weather was magnificent during the 

 whole eclipse. Passing the description of the contacts and obser- 

 vations for time, &c., we note that at totality they found the ge- 

 neral illumination of the atmosphere much greater than the rela- 

 tion of former observers of total eclipses had led them to expect, 

 so that they could read and write easily without using their 

 lamps. 



Says Le V. : " The first object which I saw in the field of the 

 telescope after the commencement of totality was an isolated 

 cloud separated from the moon's border by a space equal to its 

 own breadth, the whole about a minute and a half high by double 

 that length. Its colour was a beautiful rose mixed with shades 

 of violet, and its transparency seemed to increase even to brilliant 

 white in some parts. A little below on the right two clouds lay 

 superimposed on each other, the smaller above, and the two of 

 very unequal brilliancy. The rest of the western edge of the disc 

 and the lower part showed nothing more than the corona, the 

 light of which was perfectly white and of the greatest brilliancy. 

 But 30° below the horizontal diameter on the east I discovered 

 two lofty and adjoining peaks, the upper sides of both tinted with 

 rosy and violet light, while the lower sides were brilliant white. I 

 do not doubt that the toothed form I assign to these peaks is real, 

 which as it contrasted with that of the first appendages I have 

 described, I verified with great care ; moreover, in shifting the 

 telescope, whose high power permitted a sight of only a small 

 Can. Nat. 10 Vol. Y. No. 5. 



