1868.] Governor Hennessy on the Total Ecfipse of the Sun. 81 



VI. "Account of Observations of the Total Eclipse of the Sun, 

 made August 18th, 1868, along the coast of Borneo, in a Letter 

 addressed to H.M. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by His 

 Excellency J. Pope Hennessy, Governor of Labuan." Com- 

 municated by the Eight Hon. Lord Stanley, E.R.S. Received 

 October 8, 1868. 



Government House, Labuan, 

 19th August, 1868. 



My Lord, — Seeing the interest which Her Majesty's Government and 

 the scientific public in England have shown in the remarkable eclipse 

 which occurred yesterday, I took steps to make such observations as I 

 could along the coast of Borneo, and I have now the honour of laying 

 them before your Lordship. 



After passing from the Gulf of Siam across the China Sea, the line 

 of total eclipse passed across the Island of Borneo, touching the colony 

 of Labuan on the east, and stretching not far from the River Bintulu on 

 the west. 



Having ascertained that the precise centre of this band of total eclipse 

 would be found at Barram Point (a place within my jurisdiction as Consul- 

 General in the Island of Borneo), I made arrangements with Capt. Reed, 

 of H.M.S. 'Rifleman,' to take my observations at that spot. As that 

 well-known officer has been for years in charge of the important survey 

 of the China seas, his ship afforded special facilities for such an expe- 

 dition. 



We left Labuan on Monday at noon, and arrived off Barram Point at 

 five o'clock next morning, Tuesday the 18th. 



A tent was fitted up on an open space between a Casuarina-plantation 

 and the sea, and the following corps of observers landed at ten o'clock : — 

 Captain Reed, Lieutenant Ray, Lieutenant Ellis, and myself, our four 

 telescopes being securely adjusted on large tripod stands manufactured 

 for the occasion. Four other officers landed with us : — Dr. O'Connor to 

 note the physiological phenomena, Mr. Wright to watch the magnetic 

 needle, and Mr. Doyley and Mr. Roughton to mark the time. A few 

 intelligent sailors were in attendance to assist the observers, if necessary. 



Mr. Petley and the other officers left on board the 'Rifleman' had 

 charge of the barometrical and thermometrical observations, and they were 

 also directed by Captain Reed to watch the vibrations, if any, in the 

 magnetic compasses. 



Before leaviug the ship I made some observations upon the solar spots. 

 At 8 a.m. I found some spots in a line from east to south *. The upper 



* It did not seem necessary to reproduce the sketch sent by the author, as the posi- 

 tion of the spots may be represented by conceiving the next figure to be turned round 

 through about 65° in the direction of the hands of a watch. 



VOL. XVII. G 



