ormance of his promise, the
commander with all his family became Christians, as did many
more of his ward, with some of the most learned men of the city and
others of note." [299] In no unkind spirit we cannot refrain from
noticing, what will strike every reader, how ready divines of all
denominations are to turn the teachings of science to their own
account in the propagation of their faith. It would have been
seemlier for theologians in all ages, if their attitude towards physical
inquirers had been less hostile; they would then have made converts
through eclipses with a better grace. They would, moreover, have
prevented the alienation of many of their truest friends.

Captain Beeckman gives an amusing story of an eclipse in
Cantongee, in the island of Borneo, on the 10th of November, 1714.
"We sat very merry till about eight at night, when, preparing to go to
bed, we heard all on a sudden a most terrible outcry, mixed with
squealing, halloing, whooping, firing of guns, ringing and clattering
of gongs or brass pans, that we were greatly startled, imagining
nothing less but that the city was surprised by the rebels. I ran
immediately to the door, where I found my old fat landlord
roaring and whooping like a man raving mad. This increased my
astonishment, and the noise was so great that I could neither be
heard, nor get an answer to know what the matter was. At last I
cried as loud as possibly I could to the old man to know the reason
of this sad confusion and outcry, who in a great fright pointed up to
the heavens, and said, '_Look there; see, the devil is eating up the
moon_!' I was very glad to hear that there was no other cause of
their fright but their own ignorance. It was only a great eclipse of
the moon. I smiled, and told him that there was no danger; that in a
little while the moon would be as well as ever. Whereupon, catching
fast hold of my sleeve, as I was returning to bed, he asked me if I
was sure on't (for they take us white men to be very wise in those
matters). I assured him I was, and that we always knew many years
before when such a thing would happen; that it proceeded from a
natural cause, according to the course and motion of the sun and
moon, and that the devil had no hand in it. After the eclipse was
over, the old man, being not a little rejoiced, took me in." [300]
Another writer speaks of the East India Islands in general. "There is
to this day hardly a country of the Archipelago in which the