296 
CAPTAI^v" L. DARWJN, DR. A. SCHUSTER, AHD MR. E. W. MAUXDER 
III. Totality at Prickly Point. By Captain Darayin and Arthur Schuster. 
It has been mentioned that during the week preceding the eclipse, which took place 
on the Sunday, the Y^eather had been very unfavourable; but the clouds cleared away 
on Saturday afternoon, the sunset vms fine, and experience had taught us that a fine 
evening v^as generally follovmd by a fine morning. Our prospects, therefore, were 
very good on Saturday night, but early on Sunday morning the wind rose, which v^as 
a bad sign. At five o’clock, however, when we got up, the sky was still perfectly 
clear; the clouds came from the East at half-past five, at first in the form of detached 
cumuli, but before long the whole sky towai’ds the East was overcast. The Sun rose 
behind the clouds and was still hidden when the time for first contact arrived. It 
was only twenty minutes before totality that the crescent of the Sun appeared, and 
then the wind soon made a clearance all round him. 
Ten minutes before totality the sky v^as clear. The last instructions were given, 
the instruments put in position, and everybody took his appointed place. Five 
minutes before totality, as the darkness increased visibly, the vmather seemed safe. 
Another minute passed and danger once more threatened; a small cloud rising from 
the South-East was driven by the wind right towards the Sun. The Aloon from above 
descended over the Solar disc, and it seemed a race between the Aloon and the cloud 
which should cover it first. Totality began, and the corona became distinctly 
visible, but \vas obscured again almost instantaneously by the cloud. For about 
three-quarters of a minute the corona was only seen through a film of cloud as a 
narrow hazy ring. The corona finally appeared, and remained clear as long as totality 
lasted. 
Lieutenant B. J. Kidd, then Private Secretary to the Governor of Grenada, took 
temperature observations every five minutes for one quarter of an hour before and 
after totality. His numbers are as follows 
ll. 
m. 
0 Fahr. 
6 
55 
82 
! 
0 
82 
t 
5 
82 
7 
10 
81-75 
7 
15 
81-75 
7 
20 
81-5 
7 
25 
82 
7 
30 
82-5 
As the commencement of totality took place at 7" 10“ it will be seen that during 
totality the thermometer only fell one quarter of a degree Fahrenheit, and reached its 
lowest point about ten minuntes after totality. The \vhole change in temperature 
was exceptionally small. 
