1 58 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



witness the total eclipse of the sun which was to take 

 place that month. The party consisted of some thirty 

 or forty persons more or less cognisant of astronomy 

 and spectrum analysis. Among them were Mr. 

 Vignolles, C.E., and his son ; Sir Norman Lockyer and 

 his wife and niece ; the late Professor Clifford ; Mr. 

 Brothers, the photographer, of Manchester ; Sir 

 George Darwin, Dr. Thorpe, and the late Mr. Bowen, 

 of Harrow, who acted as my assistant ; Mr. Seabroke, 

 of Rugby, and myself. We had special carriages run 

 through to Naples, over the Brenner, and a luggage 

 van with our telescopes and other apparatus. We 

 stayed twenty-four hours in Rome, and saw the breach 

 in the wall through which the Italian troops had 

 entered only three months before. On passing the 

 gates of the Castle of St. Angelo, I was amused to 

 notice on the one side a Papal Zouave as sentry, whilst 

 opposite him keeping guard was a soldier of the 

 Italian army. Upon inquiring why this was so, I was 

 told that the Roman populace had so bullied and 

 insulted the Papal soldier when he was alone, that an 

 Italian sentinel was placed at his side to protect him. 

 At that time it will be remembered the Leonine city 

 was Papal. 



At Naples we embarked in H.M. despatch boat 

 Psyche, which had been told off for the service, and 

 in it we proceeded to Sicily. Passing through the 

 Straits of Messina the ship was steered near land so 

 that we might enjoy the coast scenery. About noon, 

 with a calm sea and bright sunshine, we were 

 approaching Catania, and passing about a mile and 

 a half to the north of the celebrated Cyclopean 

 rocks, when Captain Fellowes went below with Mr. 

 Lockyer to arrange about the discharge of some 

 of our apparatus at Catania. Some of us were 



