356 
ME. WAEEEN DE LA EUE ON THE 
of the heavens, so unlike anything I had ever before witnessed, I was so completely 
enthralled, that I had to exercise the utmost self-control to tear myself away from a 
scene at once so impressive and magnificent, and it was vdth a feehng of regret that I 
tui'ned aside to resume my self-imposed duties. I well remember that I wished I 
had not encumbered myself with apparatus, and I mentally registered a vow, that, if a 
future opportunity ever presented itself for my observing a total eclipse, I would give 
up all idea of making astronomical observations, and devote myself to that full enjoy- 
ment of the spectacle which can only be obtained by the mere gazer. 
Although, possibly, not more than twenty seconds were devoted to observations "with 
the unassisted eye, the phenomena remain strongly impressed on my memory, and at 
the time of writing this account, sixteen months after the event, I have it now pictured 
before me mentally, as vividly as if it had but just occurred. The darkness was not 
nearly so great as I had beto led to expect from the accounts which I had read of 
former total eclipses ; and although I had a lantern at hand, I did not require it, either 
in making my drawings or for reading the divisions of the micrometer quadrant on the 
eyepiece. The illumination was markedly distinct from that which occurs in nature on 
any other occasion, and certainly was greater than on the brightest moonlight night ; 
and yet, at the time, the light appeared to me less than what I remembered of bright 
moonlight. It was only by subsequent trials, in endeavouring to make out details of 
the drawings which I had made of the phenomena, and to distinguish between colours 
under various circumstances of moonlight and twilight, that I was able to form a 
proper appreciation of the amount of light ; and the best account I can give of it is, 
that it most resembles that degree of illumination which exists in a clear sky soon after 
sunset, when after having made out a first-magnitude star, other stars of less brilliancy 
can be discerned one after another. The light was good enough and sufiiciently poly- 
chromatic to enable me to distinguish the colours of near objects; but those in the 
distance appeared to be illumined by the most unearthly hues. 
Immediately surrounding the corona, the sky had an indigo tint, which extended to 
uithin about thirty or twenty-five degrees of the horizon, while lower down it appeared 
to me to be modified by a tinge of sepia. It became red as it approached the horizon, 
close to which, and just above the mountains, it was of a brilliant orange. The moun- 
tains appeared, by contrast, of an intensely dark yet brilliant blue. I saw two stars to 
the east of the sun, which by the aid of Mr. Hind’s diagram I have since identified as 
Jupiter and Venus; but I had not time to search for more, or, most probably, I should 
have seen others. These planets, and also Castor, were made out by Messrs. Robert 
Swanson, Harry Edmonds, and Matthews, in the employ of Messrs. Brassey and Co., 
and were identified by them in my copy of Mr. Hind’s diagram. 
The effect of totality upon the bystanders was most remarkable. Until the beginning 
of totality, the murmur of the conversation of many tongues had filled the air ; but 
then in a moment every voice was hushed, and the stillness was so sudden as to be 
perfectly startling ; then the ear caught the sound of the village bells, which had been 
