56: 



NA TURE 



[October 13. 1S92 



At the sea coast the central line of total eclipse passes 

 close 10 Chaiiaral 29° S.L. This is not the better known 

 Chafiarai, north of Caldera, but a small place equidistant 

 from Coquimbo and Carrizal Bajo. The southern limit 

 of total eclipse is 29^ 50' S.L. just north of Coquimbo, 

 and the northern limit 28' 10', just south of Carrizal 

 Bajo. 



The band of total phase stretches between these two 

 limits in a north-easterly direction, across the country, 

 from the coast towards the rising sun. Alon<,' the central 

 line of this band the sun will be hidden by ihe moon for 

 nearly three minutes. The eclipse will be total every- 

 where within the limits given above, but the total phase 

 will be shorter and shorter the nearer those limits are 

 approached, and outside of them the eclipse will be 

 partial. 



On the accompanying map of the Carrizal and Cerro 

 Blanco and Copiapo Railway systems I have marked the 

 northern and southern hmits, and the central line of 

 totality. 



It will be seen that the port of Carrizal Bajo, 28° 4' 

 S.L., is just outside the total band, but the railway con- 

 necting it with Verba Buena intersects the central line of 

 total eclipse 70 miles inland, and a branch to Merceditas, 

 60 miles inland, at an altitude sufficiently high to be 

 above the damp and hazy atmosphere of the coast. At 

 the points of intersection the climate is simply perfect 

 for astronomical observations, and is also, during the 

 month of April, delightful to live in. 



The accompanying form was filled up, in compliance 



- doni Observations at '^ Mina Hroitces," Chile, 1892. 



Clouds were light, allowing a .slight 



shadow to be cast. ]5rij;ht sun at 



intervals. 

 Clouds were on the horizon, so that 



the sun rose above them at 8 



o'clock. 

 Perfectly clear sky. 

 Perfectly clear sky. Sun rose at 6.22 



a.m. 

 .Sun rose at 6.22 a.m. 

 Fresh wind. Sun rose at 6.23 a.m. 

 Sun rose at 6.24 a.m. 



Slight haze at sunrise. S.in rose at 



6.25 a.m. 

 Bank of clouds near northeast horizon, 



which the sun rose above at 8.05. 

 Sun rose at 6.26 a.m. 

 >> .. 6.27 ,, 



,, ,, 6 28 ,, Strong wind. 

 >. 6.29 ,, 



[5 a.m. 



Haze thick at 8. 



8.45 a.m. 

 Sky got cloudy at midday. 



'ht at 



KiLV. 



= " Sun entirely clear from clo.ids. 



1 = " Clouds generally scattered." 



2 = "Clouds massed aboiii the sun." 



3 = "Sun in haze or fog." 



4 = " Sun invisible in thick clouds." 



NO. I 198, VOL. 46J 



with a request from Amherst College Observatory, to 

 show the cloud conditions in the inland region during 

 the month of April this year as an indication of what 

 might be expected during the same month next year. 



1 had two series of observations made, one at Mina 

 Bronces by Mr. Martin, chemist to the works (the results 

 of which are hereto appended), the other at Cerro Blanco 

 by Senor Miranda, at his mine. Both reports are in 

 every respect alike. The loth and 27th were cloudy, all 

 the other days absolutely clear. As the two stations are 

 some twenty-five miles apart, these reports show that 

 there is no local weather, and that it is only when a 

 general atmospheric disturbance, originating in the Cor- 

 dillera de los Andes, occurs that the weather is affected 

 at these high stations. 



It will be seen that there was only one day— the 27th 

 — out of twenty-one days of observation on which the sun 

 was not visible at eight o'clock in the morning, for on the 

 other cloudy day — the loth— the sun was bright at 

 intervals. 



Cbservatory Stations. 



I have marked on the map, along the central line of 

 totality, several stations that I think suitable for observa- 

 tories ; the positions are only approximately correct, for 

 I have no means of determining them accurately, but the 

 errors, if any, cannot be great. 



Undernoied are heights above sea level of some places 

 shown on the map : — 



Verba Buena railway termi' ui 

 Cerro Blanco, north hill 



,, south, Peine' a 



Carrizo, in the valley, a sm.ul 

 Merceditas railway station 

 Cerro del Jote 



Cerro del Cobre 



Lay observatory ... 



3867 feet 



1 0,000 , , 



8000 ,, 



50CC ,, 



2900 ,, 



6000 , , 



8000 „ 



4000 ,, 



Ce7-ro de Peineta is part of Cerro Blanco ; this Cerro 

 Blanco is not part of the A\ndes, but a detached hill with 

 low ground all round, and a clear view to the north- 

 east. It is easily ascended by pack-mules. 



Carrizo is not a hill, but a small farm or large garden, 

 irrigated by a mountain stream. The advantages of this 

 station are : nearness to the railway, a good road, and 

 plenty of small hills of easy ascent to select from. 



Cerro del Cobre is a good hill, but probably too far 

 south. However, there are hills all the way from Merce- 

 ditas that might be selected (see Mr. Martin's letter). 



Serra del Jote^ near Merceditas, is accessible to pack- 

 mules half-way up, higher than which it would not be 

 necessary to go. Moreover, it is said that the rest of the 

 ascent is difficult. The three hills, Cerro de Peineta, 

 Cerro del Cobre, and Cerro del Jote, can all be seen from 

 one another. 



Lay Observatory. On April 15 I went to Merceditas 

 and stayed overnight, as I wished to find near the rail- 

 way station a hill on which the sun shone at an early 

 hour on the morning of the i6th, through some opening 

 among the surrounding hills, and which would be suitable 

 for ordinary lay observers who had no expensive appa- 

 ratus, but who wished to see the eclipse well through a 

 smoked or coloured glass. To the south of the railway 

 station I found a range of hills eminently suited to the 

 purpose ; at a height of 4000 feet above the sea the sun 

 shone over a dent in the Jote at 6.40 a.m. The hill is 

 much higher than 4000 feet, but I did not go higher. 

 This is an excellent, well-sheltered spot, and would do 

 well as a station for professional astronomers. I went up 

 on horseback in forty minutes, but the ascent, from the 

 railway station, could be easily made on foot in an hour. 

 As I could not find any local name for this hill, I called it 

 the Lay Observatory. 



Climate. — At two o'clock in the afternoon of April 15. 



