Notes on the Total Eclipse of the Sun of July 18, 1860, as observed in Spain. By Captain W. S. JACOB, late Director of the Madras Observatory. (Plate I.)
THE writer of these notes was one of the party who accompanied the astronomer royal to the north of Spain in the Himalaya, the steamer liberally provided by government for the conveyance of such astronomers as desired to observe the eclipse, which would be total there, and in no other part of Europe. The greater portion of the expedition landed at Bilbao, and then dispersed themselves in small parties along the line which the moon's shadow would traverse, selecting the most favourable spots, according to the best information procurable, in which they met with invaluable assistance from C. Vignoles, Esq., the chief engineer of the Bilbao and Tudela Railway, whose operations had made him well acquainted with the country, and who was at the pains of printing a pamphlet containing all the information likely to be useful, accompanied by a map, on a large scale, of the country embracing the track of the shadow.
Our party consisted of Professor Grant and Dr M'Taggart, both of Glasgow, and myself, accompanied by Mr Martin, C.E., one of the engineers of the railway, who accompanied us as interpreter and guide, and materially assisted all our arrangements; for it should be stated, that through the liberality of the directors, each party was accompanied by an engineer, or other functionary of the railway, used to the ways of the
NEW SERIES.-VOL. XIII. NO. I.-JAN. 1861.