398 PROFESSOR C. MICHIE SMITH ON OBSERVATIONS ON 



observations, and in many cases have made more definite statements than their 

 observations warranted. Thus, for example, I watched the sunset on the 9th, 

 and certainly there was no trace of green in the silvery colour of the sun's disc; 

 yet several people in Madras told me that they had seen the sun set green on 

 that night ; but this was after they had seen the green sunsets on the following 

 nights. I believe this is only an illustration of what happened in many cases, 

 the peculiar sunset on the evening of the 9th was observed casually, then when 

 people began to talk about the green sunsets of the 10th and 11th, the casual 

 observer recollected that he had seen something peculiar, and his imagination 

 gave the silvery whiteness a green tinge. This has made me careful to sift as 

 far as possible the various statements which I have received, and, though I 

 cannot claim that the dates which I have accepted are in all cases absolutely 

 accurate, I think that they come very near the truth. 



The general result of my investigation into the dates of occurrence of the 

 phenomenon is, that in Ceylon, in the south part of the Madras Presidency, and 

 at- Ongole, in the north, the sun first appeared green on the evening of the 9th, 

 and that over the rest of the Presidency, where seen at all, it was first seen on 

 the morning of the 10th. At Belgaum it is reported to have appeared on the 

 8th, and if this is accurate it is the earliest date on which it was seen anywhere 

 in India, and would at once negative the idea of a gradual propagation either 

 from south to north or from east to west. I have no good reason to doubt the 

 accuracy of my Belgaum correspondent, but as no notes seem to have been 

 taken at the time, it is possible that he is not strictly correct. Beyond India 

 I have two reports from ships at sea — one from the captain of the " Cleomene," 

 who reports that there was a green sun and moon on the 9th, 10th, and 11th, 

 when his position was from lat. 8° N. to lat. 16° N., and from long. 83° 30' E. to 

 long. 88° 40' E. In the same letter he reports that his ship was struck with 

 lightning on the 1st. The other report is from the chief officer of the s.s. 

 "Pelican," who has given me the following extract from his log : — "September 

 10th — The sun rose this morning looking quite green ; never saw the like 

 before. Last evening the sky had a greenish haze, making the moon lock 

 sickly pale green, and a few peculiar black clouds like wisps or mare's 

 tails. Light breeze from S. to S.W. with high S.E. swell. Position at noon, 

 lat. 10° 4' N., long. 64° 12' E. It was preceded by squally weather, 

 with strong S.W. wind and very damp weather; — heavy dews at night." 

 Thus at two places — Madras and the position of the " Pelican " — more than 

 1000 miles apart, the phenomenon appeared simultaneously, while to the 

 south and east it appeared on the previous day. At Ongole, lat. 15° 30' N., 

 long. 80° 8' E., Mr Mandey saw the green sun on the 10th, and was informed 

 that it had been seen on the 9th by one whose evidence he thinks entirely 

 satisfactory. I have no information to show that the green sun was seen at 



