THE EXPEDITION AT TALNI. 19 



Hyderabad, Sir Trevor Chichele-Plowden, who was on his way 

 to Talni ; the others, sight-seers from many miles round. 



Mr. Bullock, the Chief Commissioner of Berar, for whose 

 kindness to our party we would here wish to express our thanks 

 and great indebtedness, had already arrived ; together with 

 Captain Horsburgh, the Commissioner of the Amraoti District; 

 and long lines of tents were rising on the southern edge of our 

 camp area. To those of us who were new to India, the sight, 

 familiar enough to residents, of the long trains of camels and 

 of the speed and skill with which numerous tents were pitched 

 and furnished, and the suddenness with which all disappeared 

 after the eclipse was over, was one full of interest. . 



CRESCENT SUNS ON THE PAVEMENT DURING THE PARTIAL ECLIPSE. 



The eventful morning came at last, and a sky without the 

 slightest ghost of a cloud relieved our minds of every possible 

 anxiety as to interruption from weather. We were spared all 

 fear of a repetition of the ill fortune of Norway. Our thought- 

 ful host fixed the breakfast hour at 10, that we might have 

 plenty of time to begin our observations with the first contact. 

 The partial phase had, however, very little interest for us, Mr. 

 Smith alone intending to observe the times of contact. The 

 time of waiting till totality came on was long and trying, and 

 we occupied it as far as we could by continued rehearsals of our 

 programme. At 11.45 Mr. Smith warned us that the eclipse 

 had commenced. At this Mr. Morris distributed his policemen 

 all round our camp at a considerable distance, so as to keep 



