414 Dr. Burney on the late Solar and Lunar Eclipses, [Dec. 



Mean time. Thar. 



a common burning glass, woollen cloth, thin 

 paper, and tinder were kindled, the same as 

 at this time yesterday. 



12 30 — 69 The clouds generally dispersed by a freshenino- 

 breeze, and the barometer rose slowly. 

 1 — 65 The solar heat and light rapidly diminished; 



and the eclipse went on favourably. 

 1 20 — 63-f- The clouds all dispersed near the horizon, 

 except abed oi cirrociimulus to the eastward. 

 The planet Venus, of a silvery colour, was 

 now conspicuous to the naked eye, nearly in 

 the western point of the compass, and by a 

 sextant 40° 55' distant from the centre of the 

 sun. Viewed throiigh an inverting achromatic 

 telescope, she presented only an illuminated 

 crescent, like the moon three or four days 

 after change. She continued in sight one 

 hour and twenty minutes, and was then 

 hidden by a cloud. 

 1 30 — 62 The western sky appeared much darker than the 

 eastern, not from clouds, but from the depri- 

 vation of solar light : indeed, the general 

 darkness visibly increased, and the decrease 

 in temperature was sensibly felt. Barometer, 

 30*15 inches, being the maximum pressure 

 for the day. 



1 45 — 62 The greatest obscuration of the sun's disc very 

 near ; and a fresh breeze sprung up from the 

 S.E. The burning-glass would not now 

 kindle tinder; but the freshness of the breeze 

 might have had some effect on this experi- 

 ment. 



1 46-§- — 61 Greatest obscuration. The sun now only pre- 

 sented to us through a smoked glass a small 

 (red) crescent, like that of the moon two or 

 three days old. The moon preserved a 

 definite edge, and her body appeared like a 

 spherical mass of cooling iron. The nearest 

 comparison we could draw on the obscuration 

 or deprivation of solar hght was, that it repre- 

 sented the crepitsculum, when the sun has 

 verged 2° or 3° under the horizon, with this 

 difference, that the rays were stronger, and 

 the mingled shade considerably darker, but 

 the clouds not tinged with prismatic colours, 

 as by the horizontal radiation from the setting 

 sun. 



1 50 — 60^ The planet Mars now presented himself to the 



