The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-09 00:00:00

'ME SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 9, is 6.

ing of the clause, and he delivered it to Sir
J. Shelley to take into the house. Immediately
afterwards Sir S. Shelley came out of the house
and told witness that Mr. Ayrton insisted upon
having this latter proviso inserted. Witness deci-
dedly objected, upon which Sir J. Shelley said,
" Well, we must insert it, and you must fight them
in the Lords."
Cross-examined by Mr. Denison—He told Mr.
Wyatt what had occurred presently afterwards,
and he did not dissent. He said, " Very well."
Mr. Wyatt was then called by Mr. Denison, and
stated that the point now under discussion was ore
of those for which he was instructed to contend
before this committee.
Mr. Denison said it was a defect in the bill, but
there it was. He should, therefore, withdraw any
further objection to it.
The remaining clauses and the preamble were
then agreed to, with some verbal amendments, and
their lordships agreed to pass the bill.

THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

Mr. Warren De La Rue gives the following in
teresting account of the observations made a'
Rivabellosa, a village near Miranda del Ebro :
The station selected was a threshing-floor situated
in lat. 42 deg. 42 min. north, and Icing. 11 min. 38
secs. west, at the height of 1,572 feet above the
mean level of the sea. The magnetic variation was
found to be 20 deg. 20 min. west. The locality,
being bounded by a beautiful panorama formed by
the distant Pyrenean range, was well situated for
observing the effect of the eclipse on the landscape.
My party consisted, besides myself, of Mr. R.
Beckley, the mechanical assistant of Kew ; Mr.
Downes, Mr. E. Beck, and Mr. Reynolds, Mr.
Clark, who at Mr. Vignolles's suggestion had acted
as our interpreter, also volunteered his services,
which proved most valuable during the eclipse.
Each of my assistants had allotted to him aseparate
duty, and to their cheerful concurrence in carrying
out my wishes must be attributed the successful
result obtained.
My more important object was to endeavour to
obtain photographs of the various phases of the
eclipse by means of the Kew photoheliograph, an
instrument I designed, at the suggestion of Sir
John Herschel, for the special object of delineating
the sun's image by means of photography. Although
this was the primary object, I had also provided
myself with ample means of observing the eclipse
optically.
Our instruments and portable observatory,
weighing very little short of two tons, were by
previous arrangement conveyed in two days to my
station by the kindness of Mr. Vignolles, to whom
my thanks are especially due, and that of Mr.
Bartlett, of the firm of Messrs. Brassey and Co.,
contractors of the Bilboa and Tudela Railway.
By the 12th of July we had erected the ob-
servatory, and by the 14th had obtained the first
solar photograph in Spain. During these prelimi-
nary observations photographs were made of the
surrounding panorama by Mr. Downes, and the
geographical position of the station ascertained by
myself:
The climate proved to be most uncertain, and
much serious interruption was experienced by the
clouds, which frequently obscured the sun for the
whole day. Much inconvenience was also expe-
rienced from the dust, which rendered it necessary
to obtain large supplies of water, in addition to
that required for actual use, in order to keep the
station moistened; otherwise this enemy to photo-
graphy would have prevented any good result
from being obtained.
The Kew photoheliograph consists of a tube
having the form of a truncated pyramid, at the
smaller (upper) end of which is fixed the object-
glass, 3 4-10 inches in diameter, and 50 inches
focal length. The focal image of the sun formed
by the object-glass is 47-1000ths of an inch in
diameter, but, before it:is allowed to fall on the sen-
sitive plate, it is enlarged, by means of a secondary
combination of lenses, to four inches in diameter.
The sensitive plates, six inches square, are placed
at the large end of the pyramidal tube of the tele-
scope. The tube is what is termed equatorially
mounted, and is made to follow the diurnal motion
of the sun by means of clockwork.
In taking pictures of the sun the aperture of the
object-glass is usually reduced by means of stops to
two inches.
Even with this small aperture the duration of the
exposure of the sensitive plate to the action of the
sun is a very small fraction of a second of time. The
exposure of the plate to the sun's action is effected
by means of a sliding plate, having a very narrow
slit in it. The plate, which moves in the plane of
the primary focus of the telescope, is drawn down-
wards by means of an opening, and previous to
taking photographs is held up by a loop of thread
fastened to a hook.
When a picture is reqnired to be taken the thread
is set on fire, and the plate flashes instantly across
the axis of the telescope, and allows the image of
the sun to pass momentarily through the slit on to
the sensitive plate.
The clockwork driving apparatus, although con-
venient, might actually be dispensed with in taking
sun pictures under ordinary circumstances, but at
the period of totality in a solar eclipse it is neces-
sary to expose the sensitive plate for some time to
the more feeble light of the luminous prominences
and corona, and then a clockwork (hiving appara-
tus becomes essential; and it is also necessary to
employ the full aperture of the telescope.
The photoheliograph is provided with position
wires, which may he removed at will ; when left in
the tube they become depicted as dark lines cross-
ing the sun's disc whenever a sun picture is taken,
and serve to determine with great accuracy the po-
sition of any markings on the sun or of the cusps
with reference to a normal line, for instance, with a
circle of declination.
The day previous to the eclipse was completely
overcast, and the barometer was steadily falling.
Nevertheless four dozen plates were cleaned, so as
to be in readiness for the morrow ; but the 18th
proved in the morning to be as cloudy as its pre-
decessor, and it was with very ifaint hopes that we
went to our station. At 12 o'clock the sky began
to clear, and we obtained a faint picture of the sun
through the clouds ; about half-past 12 the clouds
melted away as if by magic, and we had a clear
blue sky (without a cloud visible), except on the
distant mountains.
About 200 persons, who seemed to think that
the eclipse was only to be seen from our station,
rather interfered with our operations by their con-
versation, which completely prevented our hearing
the beats of the chronometer ; but the majority were
persuaded after a little while to go on to a neigh-
bouring height, and the Alcalde Civilo Guinea, to
whom I wish publicly to tender my thanks, and the
Civic Guards induced the remainder to speak in a
lower tone.
Just before and after the eclipse sun pictures were
made, and during Ihe progress of the eclipse 31
photographs were obtained, the times of which are
carefully registered.
These will serve hereafter to determine the path
of the moon across the sun's disc and other data
with considerable accuracy.
The serrated edge of the moon is perfectly de-
picted in all the photographs, 'and in some of them
one cusp of the sun may be seen blunted by the pro-
jections of the lunar mountain, while the other re-
mains perfectly sharp. I continued during the
eclipse to observe the sun by means of a telescope
of three inches aperture, by Dallmeyer, and I am
enabled to confirm the results obtained photogra-
phically. As I observed the progress of the eclipse,
I gave the signal from time to time for the taking
of a photograph, so that some have been procured
just as the moon passed across any conspicuous
solar spot.
When the sun was reduced to a small crescent,
the shadows of all objects were depicted with won-
derful sharpness and blackness, and as I cast my
eves on the now silent crowd they -and the land-
scape appeared as if illuminated by the electric
light, so brilliant were the lights, so sharp and
black were the shadows.
The sky began to assume an indigo tint, and the
landscape to be tinged with a bronze hue. But a
few moments, however, could be spared for these
observations, and when I placed my eye again to
the telescope, and removed the dark glass, some
minutes before the totality, I distinctly saw the
whole of the lunar disc, and perceived a luminous
prominence on the east of the zenith. This was quite
visible, while the sun's image was reflected by a
glass surface fixed at an angle of 45 deg., in the
eye piece. and its intensity therefore much dimi-
nished. The upper surface of the glass diagonal re-
flector I had, however, silvered to the extent of one-
half, and as I brought into action the silvered half
just previous to totality, I perceived a large sheet
of protninences on the east. A little to the east of
the zenith a brilliant cloud, quite detached from the
sun, and at some distance from the moon, came into
view. A few degrees to the west of the zenith a
minute point was perceived at the commencement of
the totality. South of the vertical only one small
prominence was perceivefl.
The brilliancy of these prominences far exceeded
that of the corona. Much detail was visible in tht.
protuberances both of light and shadow and con-
figuration. No appearance of Baily's beads was seen.
Castillo. the eye for a few seconds away from the
telescope to behold the corona and the surrounding
landscape, I was much surprised to find that the
darkness was not so intense as I had anticipated.
The deep indigo of the upper part of the sky
shading through a sepia tint into red and orange as
it approached the horison, the deep blue of the
mountains as contrasted with the orange sky, and
the peculiar light past on the spectator, impressed
me with a feeling of solemnity igyer to be effacedl

and which was enhanced by the ear catching the '
sound of tho village bells, which it appears had been
tolled during the eclipse. I saw two stars to the
east of the sun, which I believe to have been Jupiter
and Venus, and observed that the corona did not
extend generally more than about 8 -10ths of the
diameter of the moon beyond her limb, but that
there were outlying rays of greater extent. A
thought of my other duties recalled me, after_a few

seconds' gaze, from this enchanting scene, and I did
not attempt any exact observations of the corona.
To return to photography, when the disc of the
sun had diminished to a small crescent I gave the
signal to discontinue the ordinary pictures, and to
take away the stop of the object-glass in order to

have the full aperture ready for the totality ; and

the instantaneous apparatus was also disconnected.

The signal to prepare plates for the totality was
also made, and three plates, by a preconcerted
arrangement, were coated and then sensitized in an
extremely sensitive neutral bath, which I had pre-
pared expressly for the purpose. As I could col-
lect no reliable data as to the intensity of toe light

of the luminous prominences and corona previous
to the expedition, I was working under great dis-
advantages, and I confess from all that I could
learn previously I had very faint hopes of depict-
ing the corona at all, and I was led to think, from
the colour of the prominences, that if I did get a
picture of the corona, my only hope was to get the
prominences as dark markings on the supposed
more brilliant corona. Although my own observa-
tions during the totality gave me greater hopes of
success, it was with a thrill of pleasure that, in
answer to my questions, I learnt from Mr. Rey-
nolds that the picture was coming out under the
influence of the developing fluid.
This first plate had been exposed by previous
arrangement just one minute, and only time enough
remained for a second plate to be placed in the
telescope.
Just at this period the wind rose and shook the
observatory and telescope violently. Had it been
possible for me to have known beforehand how in-
tense the light of the prominences really was, there
would have been no difficulty in obtaining the pho-
tographs in much less time, and I do not doubt that
four might have been procured with an exposure of
from 20 to 30 seconds each.
Previous to leaving London trials had been made
to obtain photographs of the moon with the Kew
instrument, merely, however, for the purpose of
judging of the time that might be necessary for the
pictures of the corona, supposing it to be as bright
as the moon, but not the slightest impression could
be obtained by an exposure of one minute, whereas
the pictures we have obtained of the luminous pro-
tuberances are all over exposed, and the corona
has clearly shown itself, so that the latter must be
brighter than the light of the full moon.
The plates being only 6 inches square, while the
sun's image is 4 inches in diameter, it will be seen
that only a small extent of the corona could be de-
picted. I mention this in order that there may be
no misconception on this point ; had I desired to
make photographs of the whole of the corona, I
should have adopted a totally different arrangement.
My hand drawings were made by the aid of a
series of lines ruled on glass, and placedin the focus
of the eye-piece. This could be rotated through an
arc of 90 deg., and I had two diagrams with similar
lines set out on my drawing paper. With these aids
I was able rapidly to make some measurements of
position and extent of the prominences, and to com-
plete two drawings. On comparing my sketches
with the photographs, I was pleased to find that each
completely confirmed the accuracy of the other.
My drawings were made in reference to the ver-
tex, but it will be better to describe the markings
as they were shown in the photographs in relation
to a circle of declination. If the reader will suppose
a circle to be divided into four quadrants by draw-
ing two diameters across its centre at right angles,
and that one of these diameters is made to coincide
with a line drawn through the centre of the sun
and the pole,calling the quadrants north-east, south-
east, south-west, and north-west respectively, then
the edge of the moon, both in the north-east and
south-east quadrants, was at the commencement of
totality nearly covered with the luminous promi-
nences which extended- over an are of 130 deg. be-
yond her dark limb. These prominences were ex-
tremely brilliant, and far more so than the corona;
they were not uniform in tint; and with few excep-
tions they did not present any colour approaching
to red or rose ; t wo had, however, a decided but faint
rose tint. The surface of the luminous prominences
next to the moon was, when first seen, very irregu-
lar, and far more so than was attributable to moun-
tains as seen in profile on the moon's edge. This
irregular outline may, however, be explained by
supposing the prominences to have been first
seen floating like clouds in a transparent atmos-
phere at some little distance from the sun's
surface, and consequently from the moon's edge
—a supposition which is supported by the fact that
one such prominence or luminous cloud was seen
distinctly detached, and at some distance from the
dark moon.
At the commencement of the eclipse only one
small mountain-like peak was to be seen in the
north-west quadrant, and a curved one in the south-
west quadrant. , As the moon glided over the sun's
disc, the inner outline of the prominences in the
eastern hemisphere became less and less indented,
and at last they were bounded by the nearly even
outline of the moon's limb. As the eastern promi-
nences became gradually covered, the mountain-
like peak, seen at first as a mere point in the north-
west quadrant, gradually grew in dimensions, then
presented several points, and at last resembled
somewhat a colossal slik in full sail ; and extending
from this through an arc of 60 deg., there came
into view in the north-west quadrant a long streak
of luminous prominences, varying in breadth and
with a few points projecting outwards. This streak
became very jagged in its inner outline as the moon
glided off from it, just previous to the sun's reap-
pearance—these luminous prominences presenting
the same phenomena as those on the eastern edge ;
that is, appearing like clouds floating in a transpa-
parent atmosphere, a little distance from the sun.
It will render the detailed description I now pro-
pose to give of the several luminous protuberances,
as measured in the photographs, more clear if the
reader will provide himself with a circle divided
into 360 deg., and number the degrees in the reverse
order of the figures on a watch—namely, from right
to left.
Placing 360, which represents the north point
(not the vertex) uppermost, the east point, or 90
deg., will be at the left; 180 deg., or the south
point, at the bottom ; and 270 deg., the west point,
at the right hand. Eastward from the north point
there was conspicuously visible a brilliant promi-
nence, the summit of which, as the moon glided
along, was seen to curve in two opposite directions
from a radial line, the curved portions being far
less brilliant than the stem, which touched the
moon's limb throughout the totality. The centre
of the stem was 28 deg. from the north point, and
it was about 1 minute of arc broad (28,000 miles
nearly). It extended fully 4 minute, or 42,000
miles, beyond the moon's limb. This protuberance
was so brilliant that I perceived it several minutes
before the totality, and it must, without doubt, have
been seen by all observers provided with good tele-
scopes. It may therefore conveniently be made a
starting point to which all protuberances of which
I shall speak may be referred by those astronomers
who observed the prominences in regard to the ver-
tex, by taking into account the angular distances
of the several prominences from this one.
At 57 deg. was situated the northern extremity
of a remarkable detached curved cloud, which, when
first seen, was about half a minute (14,000 miles)
beyond the position occupied by the moon's dark
limb. It presented a double curvature on its
northern side, both curvatures being convex to-
wards the north. It inclined in a curved direction
at about an angle of 60 deg. from a radius towards
the east, and was a minute and a half (42,000 miles)
long. As the moon glided onwards in her course
she approached it gradually, and at last touched
the extreme point of this floating cloud, which
glowed with all the brilliancy of one of our own
terrestrial clouds at sunset. It presented a decided
rose tint.
At 72 deg. from the north a protuberance, in
shape reminding one of a boomerang,
itself on the sensitive plate, although i imprinted
t was not
visible to me in the telescope. The stem was 2 min.
long (56,000 miles), the point was bent towards the
north, inclining downwards over towards the ex-
tremity of the detached cloud. Midway down the
stem was a branch curving; upwards, so that, on
close scrutiny, the boomerang protuberance was not
unlike the capital letter G in ordinary writing. s It
is a very curious circumstance that this protuber-
ance imprinted itself distinctly, although it did not
attract the eye directed especially to that locality.
This may be accounted for on the supposition that
it emitted a feeble purple light.
Between the last-named protuberances the (float-
ing cloud and the boomerang) there was a low and
lone luminous streak, not more than a quarter of a
minute broad, and extending in length about 8 deg.
along the moon's limb.
From the stem of the boomerang, extending from
72 to 135 deg., there was a long streak of luminous
cloud, commencing with the thinnest possible streak
near the boomerang, and then becoming broader,
but in no part exceeding a quarter of a minute in
breadth, until it reached the position of 111 deg.,
when a skittle like thickening took place, half a
minute broad in the broadest part. Projecting from
the commencement of the skittle were some faint
projections, which imprinted themselves on the
sensitive plate, but I did not see them in the tele-
scope. From 129 to 135 deg. there was a consider,.
able enlargement of the streak, which widened out,.
This
to fully one minute in breadth (28,000 miles).

was bounded by curved lines, and was extremely
brilliant. Just in the neighbourhood of this thick-
ening—namely, between 115 deg. and 140 deg.—
the corona was very bright, and one of the long
streamers was to be seen carving towards the
north.

At 154 deg. a protuberance curving northwards,
and not unlike a bishop's mitre, existed, which ex-
tended from the moon's limb a distance of 1.5 min.
(42,000 miles); it was very much fainter towards
the point than near the stem. A very faint streak
of light connected the mitre-like protuberance with
the long streak.

The Fong streak and nearly all the mitre-shaped
protuberance were covered by the moon before the
totality ended, but the floating cloud and the first-
named northern protuberance were visible during
the whole time.

At the commencement of the totality only two
protuberances were visible in the western half of
the moon's disc—namely, following the order of the
preceding description, one, the centre of which was
situated at 194 deg., consisted of a thin streak less
than a quarter of a minute broad, and extended
over an arc of 51 deg. on the moon's limb at 197
deg., a point curving towards the south projected
about 1 min. This projection was completely co-
vered as the moon advanced. The other projection
was the mountain-like peak, the centre of which
was situated at 348 deg. This peak, at first not
more than ti min. high, grew to considerable dimen-
sions as the moon glided away from it, and as-
sumed, as was before said, the appearance of a ship
in full sail, the summit, or mainmast, extending
more than 11 min., and the case or hull of the vessel
measuring 10 deg. on the moon's limb.
As the moon glided on there came into view a
long streak extending from 280 deg. to 340 deg.,
where it just touched the hull of the ship. This
streak was in some parts a mere line, and bounded
by curved lines both on the under and upper side.
It thickened to about 1 min. between 300 deg. and
310 deg., at both of which places two short horn-
like projections were to be seen.
At 263 deg. and 278 deg. there came into view
two small projections, one extending 1 min., and the
second min., from the moon's disc.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

:From the Quarterly Return of the Registrar-Genera,

This return comprises the births and deaths re-
gistered by 2,197 registrars in all the districts of
England during the spring quarter that ended on
the 30th of June, 1860 ; and the marriages in
12,418 churches or chapels, about 4,263 registered
places of worship unconnected with the Established
Church, and 631 superintendent registrars' offices
in the quarter that ended on the 31st of March,
1860.

The leading facts in the return may be stated
thus :—The marriages in the first quarter of this
year were not quite so numerous as they were in
the same quarter of 1859, but exceeded those of any
corresponding period in the 11 years, 1848-58 ; the
marriage rate, namely the proportion of persons
married to the then existing population, was also
slightly above the average for the quarter; the
births in the second quarter (that ended June 30)
were fewer than in the same quarter of last year,
and were also fewer than they would have been if
the average spring birth rate had been maintained ;
the deaths exhibit in no faint characters the effects
of an ungenial season, and the rate of mortality
was higher, with only two exceptions, than in any
corresponding quarter of the previous 10 years.
The general aspect of the return is not satisfactory.