Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 67.djvu/302

296 noted a few dark lines in this continuous spectrum, indicating refracted sunlight, while others had failed to find any traces of such lines. By means of two spectrographs designed especially for the problem, and of a camera for photographing polarized light, observations were secured which satisfactorily explain the nature of this light. These observations showed no dark lines and very little polarization in the inner corona, whereas the dark lines and polarization were strongly marked in the outer corona. This seems to indicate that the light of the corona, out to a distance of nearly three hundred thousand miles from the sun's surface, is due to small particles of solid matter in a state of incandescence. This incandescent matter must also reflect light from the photosphere, but the reflected light is too weak, as compared with the inherent light, to show any of the dark lines seen in the spectrum of the sun's surface, or to give much evidence of polarization. The light from the outer corona, being chiefly reflected, gave the same spectrum as the sun's photosphere, and it was found to be very strongly polarized.

These results strengthen the belief that very finely divided solid or liquid matter exists in the region surrounding the sun (together with a very small proportion of gaseous matter); that close to the sun this matter is highly heated and shines principally by its own light; that further away it becomes cooler, and reflects more light than it emits.

On account of the clouds, the eclipse lost its great spectacular interest. Nothing of the corona was to be seen with the naked eye except a faint ring without any structure whatever. The photographs are, however, as sharp, and show as much detail in all except the extreme outer corona, as if the sky had been entirely clear.

With the passing of the shadow and its terrors for these superstitious orientals, confidence in the 'Zoneclips' people was fully restored, and it was difficult to get away from the island without a retinue of volunteer servants.

The U. S. S. 'General Alava' was at Padang during the eclipse preparations, and a number of entertainments were given in honor of her officers and the astronomers. I attended two of these functions, a reception given by the governor, and a farewell ball given by the American consul. The governor's reception was on a Sunday morning at his mansion, and dancing was indulged in for an hour or more. The ball was an evening function and elaborate entertainment was provided. Nice things were said in several languages, and healths were freely drunk. One of the toasts by a prominent Dutch official was to the 'shirt-sleeve astronomers.' These people who had so much cheap native labor, and who never needed to be in a hurry,