1886.] 



President's Address. 



375 



oat for. We have received accounts, drawings, and photographs of 

 the eclipse from Dr. Hector and others. One of the most remarkable 

 features of this particular eclipse was the appearance of two white 

 and unusually bright prominences which attracted general notice, 

 and were compared to electric lamps, and which, situated on opposite 

 sides of the sun, were just over the places of two large spots, one 

 close to the limb, and on the point of disappearing, the other not seen 

 before the eclipse but visible next day, having in the meantime come 

 round the limb. 



The present year afforded another of those rather rare occasions, 

 always of brief duration, which are afforded for the study of solar 

 physics by a total eclipse of the sun. Calculations made long before- 

 hand showed that a total eclipse was to be expected on the 29th of 

 August. The path of the total phase on the earth's surface is always 

 narrow, say 100 miles or so across, and on this occasion it swept 

 obliquely across the Atlantic Ocean, cutting the Western Coast of 

 Africa about Benguela, and sweeping across some of the West India 

 Islands to a part of the mainland of South America, where it ended. 



Though there was a long belt of ocean over which the totality 

 would be visible, and where the imposing spectacle of a total eclipse 

 might be witnessed, this was not available for regular scientific obser- 

 vations, which require land on which to fix the instruments. On the 

 mainland of America the total phase would come on so shortly after 

 sunrise that the sun would be too low for good observations, and 

 therefore the Island of Grenada, which lay within the belt of 

 totality, was much to be preferred. 



Of the two available stations, one lay in the British dominions, 

 and was pretty easy of access from England, and accordingly it 

 seemed to be the duty of our country to take a foremost place in the 

 observations, the results of which would be available to the whole 

 scientific world. It was contemplated first to send expeditions to both 

 places — to Benguela as well as Grenada. The cost of this would, 

 however, exceed what could be spared from the Government Grant 

 without unduly curtailing what was available for other objects. Ac- 

 cordingly application was made to the Lords of the Treasury for a grant 

 of 1,000?. towards the cost of the expeditions. Enquiries were also 

 made as to the probable climate at the two places ; and here I have to 

 express our thanks to the Governor- General of the Windward 

 Islands, who put us in communication with Dr. Wells of Grenada, 

 from whom we obtained valuable information regarding the climate of 

 that island, and to the Consul- General for Portugal, who obtained 

 information for us from the Polytechnic Institution at Lisbon as to 

 the amount of sunshine about the end of August at Loanda, which 

 may be taken pretty well as representing Benguela. 



The information we obtained from various sources as to Benguela 



