THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
3^7 
thief could not be found out, the people were all aftembled i 777 . 
together before him, when he wafhed his hands in water in , _ 
this veftel; after which it was cleaned, and then the whole 
multitude advanced, one after another, and touched it in 
the fame manner as they touch his foot, when they pay 
him obeifance. If the guilty perfon touched it, he died 
immediately upon the fpot; not by violence, but by the 
hand of Providence; and if any one refufed to touch it, his 
refufal was a clear proof that he was the man. 
In the morning of the 5th, the day of the eclipfe, the Saturday 5. 
weather was dark and cloudy, with lhowers of rain; fo 
that we had little hopes of an obfervation. About nine 
o’clock the fun broke out at intervals for about half an 
hour; after which it was totally obfcured, till within a 
minute or two of the beginning of the eclipfe. We were 
all at our telefcopes, viz, Mr. Bayly, Mr. King, Captain 
Clerke, Mr. Bligh, and myfelf. I loft the obfervation, by 
not having a dark glafs at hand, fuitable to the clouds that 
were continually palling over the fun; and Mr. Bligh had 
not got the fun into the field of his telefcope; fo that the 
commencement of the eclipfe was only obferved by the 
other three gentlemen; and by them, with an uncertainty 
of feveral feconds, as follows : 
h. m. s. 
By Mr. Bayly, at 11 46 23I* 
Mr. King, at 11 46 28 . 
Capt. Clerke, at 11 47 5 
Apparent time. 
Mr. Bayly and Mr. King obferved, with the achromatic 
telefcopes, belonging to the board of longitude, of equal; 
magnifying powers ; and Captain Clerke obferved with one 
of the reflectors. The fun appeared at intervals, till about 
3 the 
