where no adequate preparations had
been made, because nobody believed that the coast would be free from
fog. Exceptionally fine weather prevailed at Nova Zembla, and the small
but select party who were kindly taken there by the late Sir G. B.
Powell, M.P., in his yacht, were very fortunate, and an excellent series
of photographs was secured. One important result obtained at Nova Zembla
was a full confirmation by Mr. Shackleton of Prof. Young's discovery in
1870 of the "Reversing Layer," a discovery which was long and vehemently
disputed by Sir Norman Lockyer. Fairly successful observations were made
of this eclipse in Siberia and Japan.

The last total eclipse of the Sun which has to be noticed as an
accomplished fact was the "Indian Eclipse" of Jan. 22, 1898, which was
very successfully seen by large numbers of people who went to India from
all parts of the world. As usual in all total eclipses of the Sun
nowadays, the photographers were very much to the front, and the
photographs of the inner Corona, taken by the Astronomer Royal, are
thought to have been probably the best that have yet been done. Amongst
the miscellaneous observations made, it may be mentioned that more stars
were seen during the second partial phases than during totality (a
circumstance which had been noticed by Don A. Ulloa as far back as
1778). It is stated also that a mysterious object was seen between Mars
and Venus by two officers of H.M.S. _Melpomene_, which was not put down
on the published chart as a star to be looked for. The identity of this
object has not been ascertained.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 108: _Memoirs_, R.A.S., vol. x. p. 5.]

[Footnote 109: _L'Annuaire_, 1846, p. 303.]

[Footnote 110: _Month. Not._, R.A.S., vol. xx. p. 301; May 1860.]

CHAPTER XIV.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH AS APPLIED TO ECLIPSES OF THE SUN.

Amongst the auxiliary agencies which have been brought into use in
recent years, to enable astronomers the better to carry out systematic
observations of eclipses of the Sun, the electric telegraph occupies a
place which may hereafter become prominent. As it is not likely that
this little book will fall into the hands of any persons who would be
able to make much use of telegraphy in connection with eclipse
observations, it will not be necessary to give much space to the matter,
but a few outlines will certainly be interesting. When the idea of
utilising the