who did not verily believe that it was caused by the
dragon Rahu in his endeavour to swallow up the Lord of Day.... The
pious Hindu, before the eclipse comes on, takes a torch, and begins to
search his house and carefully removes all cooked food, and all water
for drinking purposes. Such food and water, by the eclipse, incur
_Grahana seshah_, that is, uncleanness, and are rendered unfit for use.
Some, with less scruples of conscience, declare that the food may be
preserved by placing on it _dharba_ or _Kusa grass_," and much more to
the like effect is duly set out in the interesting article cited.

During the total eclipse of the Sun of Aug. 7, 1869, the following
incident is noted[162] to have occurred at a station on the Chilkaht
river, in Alaska, North America, frequented by Indians:--

"About the time the Sun was half obscured the chief Koh-Klux and all the
Indians had disappeared from around the observing tent; they left off
fishing on the river banks; all employments were discontinued; and every
soul disappeared; nor was a sound heard throughout the village of 53
houses. The natives had been warned of what would take place, but
doubted the prediction. When it did occur they looked upon me as the
cause of the Sun's being 'very sick and going to bed.' They were
thoroughly alarmed, and overwhelmed with an undefinable dread."

A still more thrilling incident is thus recorded[163] of the eclipse of
July 29, 1878, by a witness at Fort Sill, Indian Territory, U.S.:--

"On Monday last we were permitted to see the eclipse of the Sun in a
beautiful bright sky. Not a cloud was visible. We had made ample
preparation, laying in a stock of smoked glass several days in advance.
It was the grandest sight I ever beheld, but it frightened the Indians
badly. Some of them threw themselves upon their knees and invoked the
Divine blessing; others flung themselves flat on the ground, face
downward; others cried and yelled in frantic excitement and terror.
Finally one old fellow stepped from the door of his lodge, pistol in
hand, and fixing his eyes on the darkened Sun, mumbled a few
unintelligible words and raising his arm took direct aim at the
luminary, fired off his pistol, and after throwing his arms about his
head in a series of extraordinary gesticulations retreated to his own
quarters. As it happened, that very instant was the conclusion of
totality. The Indians beheld the glorious orb of day once more peep
forth, and it was