10 ANACCOUNTOFTHE 



away for the observation of collateral phenomena, before it was necessary to watch 

 for the sun's reappearance. This took place at 1^ 31"^ 43^ The emersion was 

 sudden. But, though the limb was then sharp, and without the least appearance 

 of dislocation, during the next two or three seconds, there were faint vertical strife 

 over the lune which gave to it a slight oscillating motion. Assuredly neither the 

 illuminated clouds nor the corona disappeared, at the actual instant of the return of 

 light, but there was a brief period afterward, when their images were still upon my 

 retina. 



Though Mr. Raymond found a candle necessary to enable him to read satisfacto- 

 rily the seconds-dial of the chronometer, and vernier-scale of the barometer, the 

 darkness during totality could not have been very great, for my sketches were com- 

 pleted without the aid of artificial light. For some minutes previous, all work in 

 the valley below us had ceased, and even the strains of martial music, which the 

 Governor of Olmos employed to cheer laborers digging for water, two or three 

 miles from the town, were no longer audible. Supei-stition is still dominant here, 

 and we could hear the solemn toll of the church bell, whose sounds were intended 

 to drive evil spirits from its vicinity. Neither at Olmos nor Piura, did any enceinte 

 woman leave her room during the eclipse, whilst some from curiosity, but more 

 through fear, were in the streets, yet not daring to look upon the sun, lest malady 

 befall them. The sombre greenish light gave them the appearance of corpses, and 

 they apprehended that a plague might be visited upon them. Afterwards, the mule- 

 teers told us that their animals stopped eating, and huddled together in evident alarm. 



Very little actual change of temperature was to be expected. The coldest hour 

 of the day had just passed, and as the sun rose above the Andes, its rays had 

 greater power with each passing minute. But the thermometrical record shows 

 that the rapid interposition of the moon absolutely arrested the normal increase of 

 heat, and as late as 8 A. M., a half hour after total obscuration, the thermometer 

 showed only 58°, whilst the mean temperature experienced by us, at that hour of 

 the day was 72°! The light air from the westward, already mentioned, continued 

 through the whole eclipse, and there were constant changes in the clouded portions 

 of the sky during the same period. From shortly after noon, until the tent was 

 closed after midnight, clouds obscured the whole sky. 



Descending to Olmos early on the 8th, we left it on the afternoon of the 9th, and 

 reached Payta, without mishap, on the afternoon of Sept. 14th. 



The observations of time were as follows: — 



Beginning of eclipse ..... Not seen. 



First internal contact of limbs . . . T 30" 42\5. Good. 



Second " " " .... 7 31 43.0 Good. 



End of eclipse 8 47 35.5. Doubtful. 



Duration of total eclipse .... 1 0.5. 



The chronometer was in charge of Mr. Raymond, and the records given by me 

 are in mean time of the station. Observations of the. altitude of the sun's limb, to 

 determine the error of the chronometer on local time, were made before the end of 

 the eclipse. Its rate in the interval was inappreciable. 



