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Fig.18.—Total Eclipse of the Sun, May 6, 1883 (drawn by Trouvelot).

A pretty picture of the total eclipse of the sun which occurred on May 6, 1883, is here shown (Fig.18). It is taken from a drawing made by M. Trouvelot, who was sent out with a French observing party. They went a very long way to see an eclipse, but what they saw recompensed them for all their trouble. The track along which the phenomenon could be best seen lay in the Pacific Ocean, and a place had to be selected which was so situated that the sun should be high in the heavens at the important moment, and also that the duration while the total eclipse lasted should be as long as possible. They accordingly went to Caroline Island, and all this journey to the other side of the earth was taken to witness a phenomenon that only lasted five minutes and twenty-three seconds. Short though these precious minutes were, they were long enough to enable good work to be done. Careful preparations had been made so that not a moment should be thrown away. Each member of the party had his special duty allotted to him, and this had been rehearsed so carefully beforehand that when the long-expected moment of “totality” arrived there was neither haste nor confusion; every one carefully went through his part of the programme. M. Trouvelot, for instance, occupied himself for two minutes and a few seconds in making the sketch that we now show. No doubt an accomplished astronomical artist like M. Trouvelot would gladly have taken longer time for his sketch of so unique a sight, but brevity was imperative. He had already had experience of similar eclipses, so that he was prepared at once to note what ought to be noted, and the picture we have shown is the result. This was completed within less than half of the duration of totality, and the artist had still three minutes left to devote to another and quite different part of the work, which does not concern us at present.