Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-09-04
The outline of the luna mountains was fine

The outline of the lunal mountains was fine
ly projected in profile upon the sun; and these
as TIE crescent of light tarrowed, produced a
singular appearance on the southern cusp.-
Presently, as watched Intently, the edge of
light was broken up into hads, moving towards
the point The complete covering Of the suns
disc by the moon succeeded instantaueously.-
Up to this point may say that was in great
measure prepared for all ,hat saw. l had
seen other eclpses, and this was like one Of
them on great scale. The change which
takes place in less than tenth Of second, 50
entirely alters the scene, that the second which
precedes the instant of total obscuration gives
one no idea of what is to follow. Some sec
onds elapsed before had my thoughts suffi-
ciently about me to remove the scHe1 from the
yond the power of language adequately to ex-
press, The corona of white light which encir-
cled the dark body of the moon, resembled the
aureola, or glory, which painters designate the
person of the Saviour, its radiations extending
one-half of the suns diameter. suppose it
must be some peculiarity in its light, which
gives such strange aspect to all natural OBJ
jects seen by it. How shall / attempt to des-
cribe those other wonderse
The rose-colored flames at the same instant
with the corona, appeared on the suns edge.
The sight filled me with unmingled inexpres-
sble admiration. An arch of light like rain
bow connected two of them, not SO bright as
they were. The scene was as surprisingly
beautiful as it was awful and grand In mo-
ment, in the twinkling of an eye, it bursts up
are permitted TO see of the material creation
An hour before should have been as skepti
cal about all this as many others may now be.
Without seeing what did | should never have
thoroughly believed. had a vague concep-
ton, founded on what had read of the eclipse
in ls42, that something unusual would take
place at the moment when the sun disappeared.
But had new sun appeared in the heavens, l
could scarcely have been more taken by sur
prise, than / was when saw these fame-lke
prominences projecting from the inner edge of
the corona.
The diagram which send, shows you some
thing of the nature of this wonderful phenome-
non. My eye was at the telescope, with the
exception of glance or two about me at the
landscape shrouded in darkness, the whole
time during which the total phase continued.
They were seen, however, by many with the
naked eye. Ir Gothcnburg newspaper which
have since seen, they compared to the
sparkling of the kohinoor diamond. Capt. M.
and his family saw them with spy-glass.-
Capt. S. was on Lake Wennern at the time,
and altered his course so as to come within the
shadow. He saw them both with telescope
and with the naked eye alone. Mr.. Lassell, at
Trolhatta. and Mr.. Airy, a, Gothenburg, were
equally fortunate with us. Before the end OF
totality, the left hand fame disappeared entire
ly; perhaps was covered by the advancing
limb of the moon. Those on the side which
the moon was first to leave, increased until the
moment before the edge of the sun appeared ;
when the rosy light was suffused ever the limb
of the moon, near where the sunlight broke
forth, and then all vanished as quickly as it had
at first appeared.
The light of day had no sooner returned than
| went 10 my room to record all had seen.
only stopped to notice the shadow of the moon
to the southeast, where the sky was as black
as night, while we were already in the sun
beams. l had scarcely reached my lodgings
long before the last contact, when the sun en-.
tered the bank of clouds in the west, and wa:
soon concealed from our sight; but all that We
could desire was secured already.