232 The late Solar Eclipse. 



beyond description. The whole of the orders are displayed on 

 the pillars, which are cut out as if to support the rooms inside. 

 No chuman (lime) is used. There is some account of these caves 

 in Colonel FitzClarence's Travels, and some beautiful and correct 

 views of them by Daniell. They are thought by some superior in 

 magnificence, though in another way, to the Pyramids of Egypt." 



SOLAR ECLIPSE, SEPT. 7, 1820. 



The day proved very favourable to the inhabitants of the Me- 

 tropolis and its environs, for the observation of this interesting 

 event ; the light fleecy clouds that occasionally passed over the 

 sun by no means obstructed the view of it, and, with the exception 

 of a verv few minutes, the progress of the eclipse was visible from 

 the beginning to the end. The moon, seen through a telescope 

 of considerable power, exhibited her inequalities in a most di- 

 stinct manner, insomuch that the heights of the mountainous 

 parts might have been measured with great accuracy. Although 

 ten and a quarter out of twelve parts, into which the solar orb 

 is astronomically divided, were obscured, the decrease of light was 

 not so great as was generally expected ; and we much doubt 

 whether the diminution would have been remarked, under the 

 ordinary circumstance of a dense cloud passing over the sun's 

 face. The thermometer at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, 

 fell three degrees during the time of the greatest obscuration ; 

 while in London, at the Royal Exchange, the mercury fell from 

 69| to 64, and the barometer rose. This is the greatest solar 

 eclipse that has taken place for fifty-six years, and we believe 

 that few persons now living will ever witness another of the same 

 extent. 



At 9 o'clock A.M. the thermometer stood at 58, the barome- 

 ter 29'925. (Cornhill level); the standard barometer at the Ex- 

 change, at the same period, at 30031. — thermometer at 60. 

 The first impression upon the sun's disc I observed at 23 min. 

 30 sec. past twelve. Greenwich mean time (or, astronomically, 

 deg. 23 min. 30 sec.) being 15 sec. previous to the time laid 

 down in the Ephemeris ; the thermometer at 68. 



At -J5 min. past 12 at 69| | 15 min. past 1 at68i. 



The barometer rt this period had risen, and assumed a much 

 more convex surface. 



At 30 min. past 1 therm. 67 i 



45 ditto ditto 67 



50 ditto ditto 66^ 



Two o'clock ditto 65j 



At 15 min. past 2 therm. 64 

 25 ditto ditto 65 

 30 ditto ditto 66 



Three o'clock ditto US 



At 14 min. 24 sec. past 3 the impression left the sun's disc — 

 the thermometer at 71 — the barometer as at the commence- 

 ment ; 



