t, for
their point of convergence. The darkness took possession of the ridge
referred to, lowered upon M. Janssen's observatory, passed over the
southern heavens, blotting out the beams as if a sponge had been drawn
across them. It then took successive possession of three spaces of
blue sky in the south-eastern atmosphere. I again looked towards the
ridge. A glimmer as of day-dawn was behind it, and immediately
afterwards the fan of beams, which had been for more than two minutes
absent, revived. The eclipse of 1870 had ended, and, as far as the
corona and flames were concerned, we had been defeated.

Even in the heart of the eclipse the darkness was by no means perfect.
Small print could be read. In fact, the clouds which rendered the day
a dark one, by scattering light into the shadow, rendered the darkness
less intense than it would have been had the atmosphere been without
cloud. In the more open spaces I sought for stars, but could find
none. There was a lull in the wind before and after totality, but
during the totality the wind was strong. I waited for some time on
the bastionet, hoping to get a glimpse of the moon on the opposite
border of the sun, but in vain. The clouds continued, and some rain
fell. The day brightened somewhat afterwards, and, having packed all
up, in the sober twilight Mr. Crookes and myself climbed the heights
above the fort of Vera Cruz. From this eminence we had a very noble
view over the Mediterranean and the flanking African hills. The
sunset was remarkable, and the whole outlook exceedingly fine.

The able and well-instructed medical officer of the "Urgent," Mr.
Goodman, observed the following temperatures during the progress of
the eclipse:

Hour Deg.

11.45 56

11.55 55

12.10 54

12.37 53

12.39 52

12.43 51

1.5 52

1.27 53

1.44 56

2.10 57

The minimum temperature occurred some minutes after totality, when a
slight rain fell.

The wind was so strong on the 23rd that Captain Henderson would not
venture out. Guided by Mr. Goodman, I visited a cave in a remarkable
stratum of shell-breccia, and, thanks to my guide, secured specimens.
Mr. Busk informs me that a precisely similar breccia, is found at
Gibraltar, at approximately the same level. During the afternoon,
Admiral Ommaney and myself drove to the fort of Marsa el Kibir. The
fortification is of ancient origi