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mencement of the eclipse, and again, the following day, after an 

 interval of 24 hours. 



The weather, which previously had a very unfavourable aspect, 

 improved rapidly before the commencement of the eclipse. An ex- 

 tremely thin cirrous cloud, however, continued to overspread the sky ; 

 but this did not sensibly impair the definition of the sun, which was 

 remarkably good until some time after the total phase, when the 

 sky became more thickly clouded. During the progress of the eclipse 

 the cusps continued quite sharp, until the sun was reduced to an ex- 

 tremely narrow crescent of about 90° or less, when they were sensibly 

 rounded. This appearance became more and more decided, until at 

 length the moon's limb was quickly joined to that of the sun by 

 numerous thick lines, which occupied nearly all the remaining crescent 

 of the sun. The spaces between the lines were at first rudely rect- 

 angular, but gradually became rounded so as to resemble a string of 

 bright beads, after which they finally disappeared. The same phe- 

 nomena were seen in a reverse order after the total phase, but the 

 beads were not so numerous as before. 



The moment Baily's beads were gone, I looked at the sun with the 

 naked eye, and saw the corona fully formed. The darkness at first 

 seemed great, owing to the contrast of the recent sunshine ; and Mr 

 Lane found it necessary to use a candle in reading the chronometer. 

 The horizon, chiefly towards the north, was filled with light of a mag- 

 nificent orange-yellow, or amber-colour, by which I had no difficulty 

 in writing down the time of the commencement of the totality. It 

 was a ghastly spectacle to behold — a black sun surrounded by a 

 pallid halo of light, and suspended in a sky of sombre leaden hue; 

 and there was so much to observe in the effects of the eclipse on the 

 appearance of the landscape, that probably about 15^ elapsed before 

 I looked again through the telescope, having previously removed the 

 dark glass. The first object that attracted my attention was a re- 

 markable hook-shaped red prominence, situated 110° 30' to the west 

 of the sun's vertex; and immediately afterwards I .saw another 

 prominence with a serrated top, resembling a chain of peaked moun- 

 tains, which v^as situated a little below the first, 132° 40' to the 

 west of the sun's vertex. At the risk of offering what may be 

 deemed a whimsical comparision, I can best describe the lorm of the 

 hook-shaped prominence by saying it resembled the Eddystone or 

 Bell Rock lighthouse, transferred to the sun, with its top beginning 



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