266 TEAR- BOOK OF FACTS. 



S. were very red ; on the shadow sweeping across, the deep blue in N. changed 

 like magic to pale sunrise tints of orange aufl red, while the sunrise appearance 

 in E. had changed to indigo. The colours increased in brilliancy near the hori- 

 zon, overhead the sky was leaden. Some white houses at a little distance were 

 brought nearer, and assumed a warm yellow tint ; the darkness was great ; ther- 

 mometers could not be read. The countenances of men were of a livid pink. 

 The Spaniards lay down, and their children screamed with fear ; fowls hastened 

 to roost, ducks clustered together, pigeons dashed against the sides of the 

 houses, flowers closed (Hibiscus Africunus as early as 2h. 5m.); at 2h. 52m. 

 cocks began to crow (ceasing at 2h. 57m., and recommencing at 3h. 5m.). As. 

 darkness came on many butterflies which were seen about flew as if drunk, and 

 at last disappeared ; the air became very humid, so much so that the grass felt 

 to one of the observers as if recently rained upon." 



A Correspondent, from Tarragona, gives theTollowing as the result 

 of his observations : — 



" At lh, 42m., local time, the eclipse commenced, and it was curious to ob- 

 serve how rapidly the sun's rays lost their power, though the light did not at 

 first sensibly diminish. At lh. 47m. the thermometer (black bulb) marked 43 

 (centigrade), and from this it gradually went down to 10 at 2h, 57m., the centre 

 of the eclipse. The sun was uncovered during the whole time, with the excep- 

 tion of a minute or so, five minutes before the totality. At about 2h. 56tn. the 

 last limb of the sun disappeared ; but though the total eclipse was computed to 

 last here for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, the time seemed too short to notice all 

 the wonderful effects, and my attention was chiefly directed to the disc of the 

 sun, which presented a magnificent spectacle. The instant the sun was shut 

 out a most beautiful bright white corona appeared round the moon's circum- 

 ference, which presented an orb of jet black, and, almost immediately, rose- 

 coloured excrescences seemed to shoot out like small pyramids of fire from the 

 rim of the sun. These were not constant, but seemed to keep changing ; but 

 this probably, was the effect of the moon's disc passing over them. Two on the 

 sun's vertex were visible all the time, but one on the eastern limb soon disap- 

 peared, and was succeeded by one on the north-west limb of the suu, the most 

 conspicuous of them all. The colour of the sky was a very deep blue, but not 

 black, as it was clearly relieved against the moon's disc ; and at least three or 

 four stars were visible to the naked eye — Jupiter and Venus, the two nearest to 

 the sun, shining almost as brightly as on a summer night." 



In England the magnitude of the Eclipse may be judged from the 

 following considerations : — If we consider the diameter of the sun to 

 be represented by 100, then, at all those i)laces situated on or near a 

 line joining London and Liverpool, 83 parts of the diameter of the 

 sun were obscured. At places situated near lines parallel to the 

 above drawn through Dublin and Edinburgh respectively, S7 such 

 parts were obscured on the former, and 7!) on the latter; and at 

 intermediate places the magnitude was intermediate. The greatest 

 eclipse in the British Isles was therefore in Ireland, and the smallest 

 in Norfolk. The point of the sun's border on which the moon first 

 impinged, was situated on the right hand, and a little below a 

 horizontal line drawn through bis Oentre, and the last contact was ;i 

 point on the left hand, or eastern border, above the horizontal line 

 passing through his centre 



Although the phenomena <>f this Eclipse in England f«-ll far short 

 of those in the line of totality, yet it was the largest of any solar 

 eclipse that will happen here till the 22nd day of December, in the 

 year 1870 ; and the next and only large one in this century will bo 

 in the year 1N87, on August 19th, which will be nearly total. — 

 London Review. 





