1868.] 



of the Solar Eclipse. 



77 



their spectrum there were the two broad bright bands I have above de- 

 scribed. Most fortunately also these red flames were on that part of the 

 sun which first reappeared ; so that just before or just at emergence there 

 appeared at the very part I was intently observing one brilliant wide spec- 

 trum with the green and indigo bands before described, remaining visible 

 for an interval just long enough to enable me to make quite sure of the po- 

 sition of the bands, which were then obliterated by the bright light of the 

 sun. Of course, observing with the spectroscope alone it would have 

 been impossible to say whether the spectrum with the green and indigo 

 bands appeared just before or just after emergence ; but I think it must 

 have been just before, because Captain Tanner called out when totality was 

 over ; and I immediately remarked that I thought he was rather late, 

 but he was quite confident about the accuracy of his observation. What 

 struck me as being very remarkable was the circumstance, that though the 

 light of the red flames was to the naked eye so feeble as to be out- 

 shone to extinction by that of the corona, nevertheless, when viewed with 

 the spectroscope, the spectrum of the corona was very weak, and that of 

 the flames remarkably brilliant. On the first glimpse of the eclipse, before 

 looking through the telescope, the corona appeared so bright, that it gave 

 me the momentary impression (as it did to Captain Tanner) of its being 

 an annular eclipse. We are divided in our estimate of the length of the 

 interval during which we observed the totality. It appeared to me very 

 short — so much so, that when it was over I was quite taken by surprise to 

 hear that both Captain Tanner and Mr. Kero Laxuman had taken sketches 

 of the flames ; and their sketches, both as to position and structure, were, 

 with one slight exception, remarkably coincident. From the time of my 

 first pointing the spectroscope to the bursting out of the sun's light I never 

 once withdrew my eye, though it had been my intention to shift the 

 prism-cap on to the telescope of the theodolite as soon as I should have 

 carefully noted the spectrum of the flames ; but while I was intently gazing 

 on the two bright bands to impress their colour well on my memory, the 

 new spectrum of the moon's edge appeared, so that I was under the im- 

 pression that the length of the time of observation was very short. On the 

 other hand, Captain Tanner, judging from the amount of work he did in 

 the time, estimated it at a minute. Mr. Kero Laxuman estimated it at 40 

 or 45 seconds. Immediately after the totality was over we all three made 

 rough notes of our observations ; and Captain Tanner's and Mr. Kero Laxu- 

 man' s notes agree together wonderfully in their description of the structure 

 of the flames. 



The accompanying rough sketch was made by Captain Tanner, who had 

 not the means of making a more finished drawing. The sketch shows the 

 actual appearance of the eclipse. It was observed by Captain Tanner 

 wholly inverted, and by Mr. Kero Laxuman (who used a diagonal eyepiece) 

 inverted vertically but not laterally. Captain Tanner and Mr. Kero Laxu- 



