624 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
It being my purpose to give some account of a few of the most interesting 
eclipses among the many that have been seen and recorded in the past; I wish 
to mention a few in the earlier and middle ages of our own era. A total eclipse 
passed over Northern Italy in A. D. 237, Aprili2. ‘‘Sogreat was the eclipse of the 
sun that people thought it was night, and nothing could be done without lights.” 
During a total eclipse of the sun July 19, 418, not only stars became visible, but 
a great comet was discovered, which continued visible for four months after- 
wards. In 810, May 5, a total eclipse of the sun frightened Louis ‘‘the pious’’ 
emperor of the West. He died a little while after it, and seems never to have 
recovered the fright he received from the eclipse.” A total solar eclipse came 
over London in the time of King Alfred, 878, October 29, at 1:16 P.M. It was 
not till 1715, after the long interval of 837 years, that another total eclipse of 
the sun occurred at London. An eclipse of the sun was observed at Cairo, 
December 13, 977; and another at the same place June 8, 978. A comparison 
of these two eclipses with the dates of some others seem to prove that the moon’s 
orbital velocity is now a little faster than it was in ancient days. In other words, 
that it revolves around the earth in rather less time than it did in former ages. 
In 1033, 29th of June, a solar eclipse is described by a writer of the time as ‘‘ex- 
ceedingly terrible, for the very sun became of a sapphire color.’’ Computation in- 
dicates a great eclipse of the sun in England, August 2, 1133, which was consid- 
ered a presage of misfortune to Henry I; and is thus alluded to by William of 
Malmesbury: ‘‘The elements manifested their sorrow at this great man’s 
last departure, for the sun, on that day at the sixth hour, shrouded his glo- 
rious face, as the poets say, in hideous darkness, agitating the hearts of men by 
an eclipse.” A great earthquake with horrid noise and a sinking of the ground is 
said to have happened about this time. But other accounts say that Henry died 
in 1135, December rst. I look at both records (the eclipse and history) as high 
authority, and in this case feel quite unable to decide which is correct. On May 
14, 1230, a total eclipse of the sun near sunrise seemed to prolong night into 
day. An eclipse of the sun was total in the south of France, January 1, 1386. 
A noted eclipse of the sun passed over Scotland June 17, 1433. ‘The totality con- 
tinued long at Edinburg about 3 in the afternoon. It was called the ‘‘black 
hour” for many ages afterward. In 1598, February 25, in the morning, was an- 
other total eclipse of the sun at Edinburg, and for generations following it went 
by the name of ‘‘Black Saturday.” In 1560, August 21, a total eclipse of great 
duration occurred at Coimbra, Portugal, about which is said: ‘‘There was dark- 
ness greater than that of night; the stars shone very bright in the sky; women 
screamed and cried out that the last day of the world had arrived; and the birds. 
fell down to the ground in fright at such startling darkness.” 
An account of the Columbus eclipse will be given in the words of another: 
“An eclipse of the moon which happened on March 1, 1504, proved of much 
service to Columbus. His fleet was in great straits owing to want of supplies, ~ 
which the inhabitants of Jamaica refused to give. He accordingly threatened to 
