32 THE INDIAN ECLIPSE, 1898. 



of the surrounding shipping tolled dolefully through the night. 

 Later on there was trouble. A vessel near us broke her moorings 

 and went adrift among the other shipping, till she presently 

 filled and sank, her crew escaping with difficulty ; and at day- 

 break we saw her, half a cable's length astern, the tops of her 

 masts alone standing up above the turbid stream. Other 

 disabled craft lay half submerged or beached, while one large 

 steamer had fouled ourselves during the night, and was lashed 

 to our side for mutual protection. It was a welcome relief 

 when at eleven o'clock of the forenoon of Christmas Eve the fog 

 cleared away as if by magic, and in bright sunshine and under 

 a blue sky the Egypt stood down stream for the Channel. 



This was perhaps scarcely a propitious commencement of our 

 voyage, but whatever evil fortunes it might seem to portend 

 were unfulfilled, and henceforward the good luck that attended 

 our course began to manifest itself. 



The weather throughout our voyage was all that could be 

 desired. We had a cold spell to begin with, when those who 

 sat on deck needed the protection of ample wraps ; but this 

 state of things lasted but a short while. The Bay was merciful 

 to us, and, once beyond the frowning fortress of Gibraltar, we 

 found ourselves in warmer climes. In our boat we were excep- 

 tionally fortunate, the Egypt being at that time the newest 

 and finest of the P. & 0. fleet, and in point of speed and 

 comfort leaving nothing to be desired. 



With assured weather and completed numbers, business began 

 to employ the time of our party for a recognised period of each 

 day. As a preliminary step a general meeting was held in 

 order to review the different instruments available for the 

 observation of the eclipse, and to assign the various duties to 

 each member. 



The peculiar circumstances of our expedition, its uncertainty, 

 and the shortness of the time intervening between our arrival 

 in India and the day of the eclipse, had of necessity compelled 

 us to abandon all instruments and apparatus of a cumbrous 

 nature, or such as would require many hours to erect and 

 adjust. This was in many ways a sad loss, though unavoidable ; 

 but our equipment was at least as complete as was compatible 

 with portability. The heaviest and most important instrument 

 was undoubtedly the animatograph telescope, specially designed 

 for the expedition by Mr. Nevil Maskelyne. As a piece of 

 delicate and complex mechanism this apparatus demanded 

 much care and manipulation, and a certain period of each day 

 was set apart for requisite practice. At intervals, too, during 

 the voyage, a practical use was made of its capabilities. A 

 number of spare films had been supplied by Mr. Maskelyne, 

 in addition to one of special length for the eclipse ; and 

 with the consent and ready co-operation of our genial captain 



