1868.] 



Total Eclipse of the Sun. 



85 



and the wind had slightly freshened. The darkness then came on with 

 great rapidity. The sensation was as if a thunderstorm was just about to 

 break, and one was startled on looking up to see not a single cloud over- 

 head. The birds, after flying very low, disappeared altogether. The 

 dragonflies and butterflies disappeared, and the large drone-like flies all 

 collected on the ceiling of the tent and remained at rest. The crickets 

 and Cicadge in the jungle began to sound ; and some birds, not visible, also 

 began to twitter in the jungle. 



The sea grew darker, and immediately before the total obscuration the 

 horizon could not be seen. 



The line of round white clouds that lay near the horizon changed their 

 colour and aspect with great rapidity. As the obscuration took place 

 they all became of a dark purple, heavy looking, and with sharply defined 

 edges ; they then presented the appearance of clouds close to the horizon 

 after sunset. It seemed as if the sun had set at the four points of the 

 horizon. 



The sky was of a dark leaden blue, and the trees looked almost black. 

 The faces of the observers looked dark, but not pallid or unnatural. 



The moment of maximum darkness seemed to be immediately before 

 the total obscuration ; for a few seconds nothing could be seen except 

 objects quite close to the observers. 



Suddenly there burst forth a luminous ring around the moon. This 

 ring was composed of a multitude of rays, quite irregular in length and in 

 direction ; from the upper and lower parts they extended in bands to a 

 distance more than twice the diameter of the sun. Other bands appeared 

 to fall towards one side ; but in this there was no regularity, for bands 

 near them fell away apparently towards the other side. When I called 

 attention to this, Lieut. Ray said, " Yes, I see them ; they are like horses* 

 tails ; " and they certainly resembled masses of luminous hair in complete 

 disorder. 



1 have said these bands appeared to fall to one side ; but I do not mean 

 that they actually fell or moved in any way during the observation. If 

 the atmosphere had not been perfectly clear, it is possible that the appear- 

 ance they presented would lead to the supposition that they moved ; but 

 no optical delusion of the kind was possible under the circumstances. 



During the second when the sun was disappearing, the edge of the 

 luminous crescent became broken up into numerous points of light. The 

 moment these were gone, the rays I have just mentioned shot forth, and 

 at the same time we noticed the sudden appearance of the rose-coloured 

 protuberances. 



The first of these was about one-sixth of the sun's diameter in length, 

 and about one-twenty-fourth part of the sun's diameter in breadth. It all 

 appeared at the same instant, as if a veil had suddenly melted away from 

 before it. 



