THE EXPEDITION AT TALNI. 25 



the Government party there had secured. We had already 

 learned by telegram that generally along the line of shadow 

 the success had been unalloyed. Indeed, during the night after 

 the eclipse \ve had been twice aroused in the deep darkness by 

 the cry, monotonously repeated just outside our tent, of " Tel-e- 

 gram, sah-ib." One of these nocturnal messages informed us, 

 to our great delight, that Mr. Bacon and his party had had, at 

 Buxar, good fortune similar to our own. 



Our last days at Talni were busy enough, but need no detailed 

 history. Farewells and packing up were the only incidents. 

 Mr. Bullock, the Chief Commissioner, had left on Saturday 

 afternoon, and waved us a cheery goodbye from the train as he 

 passed the hot little telegraph tent where we were hard at work. 

 The Resident, Sir Trevor Chichele-Plowden, started for Calcutta 

 later in the evening. By Sunday morning half the camp had 

 disappeared. By Monday evening our work at Talni also was 

 ended, and on Tuesday afternoon we took our leave of Mr. 

 Morris, the host to whose untiring thoughtfulness and care we 

 owed so much. Mr. Smith accompanied us for the first stage 

 of our journey, and we parted from him at Nagpur. Mr. 

 Thwaites and Mr. Evershed bade their farewell to the camp the 

 following morning ; and when on the Friday we passed in the 

 train for a last time through Talni, our once so busy camp was 

 an empty waste. 



With the break-up of our party the report of our eclipse 

 expedition comes really to an end. The rest of our stay in 

 India was no longer in the company of the other members of 

 the expedition, and we were bent on sightseeing rather than on 

 astronomical research. Nevertheless, two or three little incidents 

 had some bearing on astronomy, and it may not be out of place 

 to record them here. 



From Talni, my wife and I went to Nagpur, accompanied by 

 Mr. Smith, who bade farewell to us there. At Nagpur we 

 stayed with Dr. Henderson, to whom we owe a heavy debt of 

 gratitude for the perfect rest and quiet that we enjoyed there 

 after the excitement and nervous strain of the eclipse. We 

 had met Miss Henderson in London a few weeks before we sailed 

 for India, and had there suggested to her one or two subjects for 

 observation during the eclipse, which was total at Nagpur. Miss 

 Henderson had accordingly organised a little party of observers, 

 and has very kindly placed their notes in my hands for com- 

 munication to the Association, and they will be found under 

 the section treating of the " Shadow bands." Miss Henderson 

 herself secured some very pretty photographs of the corona 

 with a kodak. 



From Nagpur we went to Cawnpore, and had the pleasure of 

 travelling a considerable portion of the way with Dr. Copeland, 

 the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, on his way home from his 



