III. Obfervations of the late Total Eclipfe of the 
Sun on the lid of April laft paft , tnade before 
the Royal Society at their Houfe in Crane- 
Court wFleet-ftreet, London. Dy Dr. Edmund 
Halley, %eg. Soc. Seer. With an Account of 
what has been communicated from abroad concer- 
ning the fame. 
T Hough it be certain from the Principles of Aftro- 
nomy, that there happens neceflarily a Central 
Eclipfe of the Sun in fome part or other of the Terraque- 
ous Globe, about Twenty Eight times in each Period of 
Eighteen Years ; and thac of thefe no lefs than Eight do 
pafs over the Parallel of London, Three of which Eight 
are Total with continuance .* yet, from the great Variety 
of the Elements whereof the Calculus of Eclipfes confifts, 
it has fo happened that fince the 20 tb of March , Anno 
Chrijli 1140, 1 cannot find that there has been fuch a 
thing as a Total Eclipfe of the Sun feen at London , though 
in the mean time the Shade of the Moon has often paft 
over other Parts of Great Britain * 
The Novelty of the thing being likely to excite a ge^ 
neral Curiofity, and having found, by comparing what 
had been formerly obferved of Solar Eclipfes, that the 
whole Shadow would fall upon England , I thought it a 
very proper Opportunity to get the Dimenfions of the 
Shade ascertained by Obfervation ; and accordingly l 
eaufed a fmall Map of England, deferibing the Track 
and Bounds thereof, to be difperled all over the King- 
dom, with a Rcqueft to the Curious to obferve what they 
could 
