THE ECLIPSE OF 1870. 63 



1869, bizarre and perplexing though they seemed, 

 and doubtful as many had held them to be, are shown 

 to be exact and trustworthy. 



From the powerful observing party which was 

 stationed at Oran we have no results. A clouded sky 

 sufficed to render vain the hopes which had been 

 formed when it was known that Dr. Huggins, the 

 Herschel of the spectroscope, and those profound 

 students of nature, Tyndall and Gladstone, had united 

 their, forces, and, with other able allies, were to seek 

 one of the most promising stations along the whole 

 course of the moon's shadow. 



But from Spain and Sicily, whither the two other 

 parties of observers had betaken themselves, we have 

 no doubtful intelligence on this special point. From 

 Spain we have (at the present writing) the fullest 

 details. As on former occasions, some observers failed 

 to see the bright lines. This failure is not remarkable 

 when the difficult nature of the observation is con- 

 sidered. It has been shown, indeed, that a certain 

 increase in the quantity of light admitted to form the 

 spectrum would suffice to obliterate the lines altogether 

 from view, while rendering the rainbow-tinted back- 

 ground considerably brighter. Negative evidence in 

 this case proves nothing. The great question was 

 whether reliable positive evidence would be obtained. 

 Fortunately, two observers succeeded in answering this 

 question in a manner there could be no mistaking. 

 Father Perry, S.J., who headed the Spanish parties, 

 thus describes the observations made by Captain 



