CHAP, vii.] A Total Eclipse. 327 



mation in matters which are above my understanding. But 

 in my next I hope to say more, or rather a great deal about 

 your " Chrysotype," for I had a visit to-day from a Berg- 

 Rath-W., who seems to be much interested in these dis- 

 coveries How I envy you having seen Bessel the 



man who found us the parallax of 61 Cygni 



.... I believe I have water on my brains, and all my 

 bones ache so that I can hardly crawl ; and besides sometimes 

 a whole week passes without anybody coming near me, till 

 they stumble on a paragraph in the newspaper of Griithou- 

 sen's discoveries, or Lord Queenstown's great telescope, 

 which shall beat Sir William Herschel's all to nothing, and 

 such a visit sometimes makes me merry for a whole day. 



SIR J. F. W. HERSCHEL TO MISS HERSCHEL. 



COLLINGWOOD, Aug. 9, 1842. 



MY DEAR AUNT, M 



M. tells me I must finish this letter with an account 

 of the total eclipse of the sun seen at Pa via by Mr. Baily, 

 and at Turin by Mr. Airy. At Pavia it was very finely seen, 

 and as soon as the sun was totally covered, the dark moon 

 was seen to be surrounded with a glory, like the heads of 

 saints in old pictures. While he was admiring this, a great 

 shout from all the population of Pavia broke out at once, 

 which was caused by the sudden appearance of three purple 

 or lilac-coloured flames, which seemed to break out from 

 the edge of the moon. At Milan the same was seen, and 

 the people shouted out "Esleben die Astronomen /"* as 

 soon as they saw the flames. 



I am glad you got my Chrysotype pictures safe. The 

 present beautiful sunshine has given me an opportunity to 

 make great progress in photography, and the enclosed pho- 



* The astronomers for eve' ! 



