for the year 1872. Ixi 



We found it afforded good anchorage on the sheltered side, 

 perfectly good and safe boat landing ; it was, moreover, in 

 almost the same latitude as Cape Sidmouth, and the central 

 line of totality passed within four miles of its centre. In 

 other respects, however, it was a most uninviting place — a 

 mere sandbank, over which an 8 ft. tide would have swept, 

 clothed only with a few miserable bushes, and infested with 

 myriads of rats. At low water the reef was exposed, and 

 the island became six miles long, and two broad ; at high 

 water it collapsed to 200 yards wide by about half a mile 

 long. However, it suited well for landing our instruments, 

 and for observinof, and it was selected as the observina; 

 station. On December 7 we commenced erecting our 

 observing tents and instruments, and finished in time to 

 give us about a day and a half for rehearsals ; most of the 

 passengers in the meantime employing themselves in boat . 

 excursions, in collecting shells, coral, and beche-de-mer on the 

 reefs at low water, while some made a voyage to the main 

 land, at Cape Sidmouth, about 15 miles to the westward. 



Up till the 11th December the weather had been on the 

 whole fine, and promising of clear skies ; but on that day 

 the wind fell, and heavy thunderstorms came on during 

 the afternoon and evening, which continued all night. 

 Next day broke gloomy, overcast, and raining. Now and 

 then came a slight break, and a peep of the sun for a 

 moment to tantalise us. Every instrument was set and 

 ready, every observer at his post, and prepared — hoping 

 against hope — till our time-keeper called out that the 

 eclipse had commenced, warning us from time to time of the 

 approach of totality and its progress, but impenetrable 

 clouds hid all from us. Once for a moment a break showed 

 us the last thin cresent just before totality — and that is all 

 the Australian Eclipse Expedition saw of the total eclipse of 

 December 12, 1871. 



