80 



Spectroscopic Observations of the Solar Eclipse. [Recess, 



limb after Mr. Kero Laxuman had called out ; so I attributed his error to 

 the vibration of his telescope caused by the wind. Capt. Tanner observed, 

 I believe, the last contact ; but, strange to say, the point of the moon which 



made last contact was a mountain-peak of this ^^^Z— ______ 



shape ; Capt. Tanner would make it thus, ^^^z^ 



dividing the mountain into two hills ; and he says I was a second too soon 

 in my observation, which was of the spherical last contact ; and perhaps 

 he was right, as he had a better telescope than I had. His observation at 

 jQh 28 m 17 s was the time of the peak leaving the sun's limb; so that he and 

 I differ only by 1 second, as to whether the spherical last contact occurred at 

 10 h 28 m 14 s or 10 h 28 m 15 s . 



I sent a native assistant to Moolwar (the station selected by the German 

 astronomers) to take observations with a barometer, and with wet-, dry-, 

 and black-bulb thermometers, continuously for some days before and after 

 the eclipse, but I anticipate no interesting results (from the rough glance 

 I took at the records on the evening of the 18th). The atmosphere was 

 during the time in a very disturbed state. 



Mr. Chambers, of the Bombay Observatory, went to" a village called 

 Mongoli, about six miles east of Moolwar, with the intention of observing 

 the eclipse ; but he was disappointed, for it was completely obscured by 

 clouds during the whole of the total phase. 



I have not yet heard what success has attended Lieuts. Herschel and 

 Campbell with the spectroscope and polariscope at Jamkhandi, so that I 

 am quite ignorant of the value of our observations ; but I trust that even 

 should other observers have succeeded in contributing to physics more de- 

 finite information, ours may at least be valuable as corroborative evidence. 



I am, dear Sir, 



Yours faithfully, 



C. T. Haig, 

 Captain Royal Engineers. 



General Sabine, R.A., P.R.S. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 



Pig. 1 represents the total eclipse as it appeared during the last 20 seconds of the total 

 phase. 



Fig. 2. Red prominences, drawn to larger scale, and showing the streaked structure of a 

 and the radiating thicker lines composing the double prominence at h. {Note. A light-red 

 colour showed itself between these streaks, which gave the prominences a greater appear- 

 ance of solidity.) c 2 , small red prominences as noted by Kero Laxuman ; c v the same as 

 noted by me (c appeared just at the end of totality). The height of a was a little over 

 2', b about 1' 40"; e may have been 0' 20". 



