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No. XLVIII. 



Observations on the Eclipse of 16 June, 1806, made by Simeon 

 De Witt Esq. of Albany, State of New-York, addressed to 

 Benjamin Rush M. D. to be by him communicated to the Ame- 

 rican Philosophical Society. 



Read May 180". 



Albany, April 25th, 1807 



DEAR SIF, 



"WITH this I send you for the American Philosophical 

 Society, a painting, intended to represent the central eclipse of 

 the sun on the 16th of last June. It is executed by Mr. Ezra 

 Ames, an eminent portrait painter of this place, and gives, I 

 believe, as true a representation of that grand and beautiful 

 phenomenon, as can be artificially expressed. The edge of 

 the moon was strongly illuminated, and had the brilliancy of 

 polished silver. No common colours could express this; I 

 therefore directed it to be attempted as you will see, by a rais- 

 ed silvered rim, which in a proper light, produces tolerably 

 well, the intended effect*. 



As no verbal description can give any thing like a true idea 

 of this sublime spectacle, with which man is so rarely grati- 

 fied, I thought this painting would not be an unwelcome pre- 

 sent to the Society, or an improper article to be preserved among 

 its collection of subjects for philosophical speculation. But, in 

 order to have a proper conception of what is intended to be re- 

 presented, you must transfer your ideas to the heavens, and 

 imagine, at the departure of the last ray of the sun, in its re- 

 treat behind the moon, an awful gloom immediately diffused 

 over the face of nature; and round a dark circle, near the ze- 

 nith, an immense radiated glory, like a new creation, in a mo- 

 ment bursting on the sight, and for several minutes fixing the 

 gaze of man in silent amazement. 



* This painting- is deposited in the Hall of the Society, and strongly resembles the 

 drawing- made by Mr. Ferrer, 15 miles below Albany, which is represented in PI. VI. Fig-. 1. 



