NOTES. 



stars were seen in the day-time. Schnurretj Ohronik der Seuchen, 

 Th. i. S. 118. 



536. " Justinianus T. Caesar imperavit annos triginta octo (52? to 

 565). Anno imperii nouo deliquium lucis passus est Sol, quod annum 

 iutegrum et duos arnplius menses duravit, adeo ut parurn admodum 

 de luce ipsius appareret ; dixeruntque homines Soli aliquid accidisse, 

 quod nunquam ab eo recederet." Gregorius Abu'l-Faragius, Supple- 

 mentum Histories Dynastiarum, ed. Edw. Pocock, 1663, p. 94. This 

 seems to have been a phenomenon very similar to that of 1783, to 

 which the name of " Hohenrauch" has been given, but for such 

 phsenomena no general satisfactory explanation has been assigned. 



567. Justinus II. aunos 13 imperavit (565-578). Anno imperii 

 ipsius secundo apparuit in coslo ignis flammans juxta poium arcticum 

 qui annum integrum permansit ; obtexeruntque teuebrae mundum ab 

 hora diei nona noctem usque, adeo ut nemo quicquam videret; 

 deciditque ex sere quoddam pulveri minuto et cineri simile. Abu'l- 

 Farag. 1. c. p. 95. For a year continual Aurora, afterwards darkness, 

 and showers of what we call " trade-wind dust" (?). 



626. According to Abu'l-Farag. (Hist. Dynast, p. 94 and 99), half 

 the sun's disk continued obscured for eight months. 



733. A year after the Arabs had been driven back beyond the Pyre- 

 nees, as the result of the battle of Tours, the sun was darkened on 

 the 19th of August in a terrifying manner. Schuurrer, Chron. Th. i. 

 S. 164. 



807. A spot on the sun which was taken for Mercury. Reuber, Vet. 

 Script, p. 58 (see above, p. xcviii.) 



840. From the 28th of May to the 26th of August (Ass,emani reckons 

 May 839), the so-called transit of Venus over the sun's disk. See 

 above, p. xcviii. (The Caliph Al-Motassem reigned from 834 

 to 841, when he was succeeded by Haroun-el-Vatek, the ninth 

 Caliph.) 



934. In the valuable History of Portugal by Faria y Sousa, 1730, p. 

 147, 1 find " En Portugal se vio sin luz la tierra por dos meses. 

 Avia el Sol perdido su splendor." An opening in the sky then 

 seemed to take place "por fractura," with many flashes of lightning, 

 and the full blaze of sunshine was then suddenly restored. 



1091. On the 21st of September a darkening of the sun took place 



