Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 68.djvu/565

Rh. The little blotches of light under the trees, instead of being the familiar circles, were little crescents, exact counterparts of the sun itself. The darkness began to make itself really felt, and without looking at the sun one would know that something out of the ordinary was happening, for the gloom did not in the slightest degree resemble that of sunset. A hush fell upon the crowd of assembled and talkative Spaniards when, ten minutes before totality, a big cloud drifted over the sun. Would this cloud move away? Or were we going to be disappointed? It hung there for a space of time that seemed to be an age, while in reality it was only five minutes. It was a big scare, but when

that passed, with a shout from us all, there wasn't another cloud anywhere to bother us. Fifteen seconds before the calculated time, with the last disappearing ray of sunlight, the corona broke forth into view. What a magnificent sight it is shining out with its pale, pearly light for a couple of diameters round the edge of the sun, with its streamers and brushes of delicate light! True to prediction, the corona was almost square in shape, and was not at all alike in appearance to the