360 
REV. S. J. PERRY OR THE TOTAL 
Notes on the Solar Eclipse of 2^th August, 1886, observed at Carriacou. 
H.M.S. “Bullfrog,” under my command, was ordered to convey the northern 
division of the expedition for observing the eclipse to Carriacou, an island about 
twenty miles 'N.W. of Grenada, and render what assistance she could ; I and all the 
other officers of the ship offered our services for tlie observations, which were accepted. 
On arriving at Carriacou, on the 14th August, we were cordially welcomed by Mr. 
ItOCHE (the magistrate), and hospitably entertained by Mr. Drummond, the owner of 
the property on which we selected a spot to erect the huts. This was a small plateau, 
on the summit of a steep ridge 175 feet above the level of the sea. The sea was on 
each side of the ridge, and Mr. Drummond’s house was 200 or 300 yards off. The 
beach .in the bay where the ship anchored was very suitable for landing the instru¬ 
ments. 
I undertook the observation of one of the disks ; it v-as mounted on the hut used 
by Mr. Maunder. The height of disk above eyepiece w^as 11 feet lOg-inches, the 
angle subtended by the disk being 72'; the diameter of the disk was 9 inches ; the 
cross-bar was 1^ inch thick ; the uprights were 1 inch thick ; the length of uprights 
was 2 feet 10^ inches ; the horizontal distance of the eyepiece from the disk was 
33 feet 7 inches; the apparent diameter of the disk from the point of observation was 
equal to 2^ solar diameters. 
On the 26th and on the 28th I practised the observations under as nearly as 
possible the same conditions that M^e should be under on the day of the eclipse. I 
was prevented from doing so on the 27th by the weather. 
The hole in the eyepiece I had increased to ^ inch diameter. 
At 10 minutes before totality my eyes were bandaged wdth a thick black hand¬ 
kerchief, without any pressure on the eyeballs, but totally excluding the light. The 
bandage being taken off at the commencement of totality, I looked through the 
eyepiece, but found the adjustment not correct, and lost some time in correcting it 
before I could commence my observations. 
The sketch I took of the phenomenon, as I saw it, together with a copy (which 
differs only in being a little more finished and shaded a little darker), accompanies this. 
• The first things that caught my attention -were the two rays of light marked A 
and B ; they seemed to be of exactly the same length, and en.ch to make an angle of 
about 45^^ with the vertical, in length 1^ diameter of the disk from the disk, or 
4 solar diameters from the Sun’s periphery. Tlie next thing that I observed was the 
ray that I have marked C, very bright, but small and partially hidden by the cross 
piece ; the observed extension was under 2 solar diameters from the Sun’s limb. The 
two remaining rays, D and E, on the Sun’s eastern limb, v’ere very faint, and they 
seemed to fade into the general surrounding light instead of tapering away to a point, 
as the others did. 
