remained, and all their endeavours to explain the unusual appearance were fruitless, they broke up their camp in the middle of the night—the only time I ever remember its being done — and crossed the river, where they remained huddled up together until morning. Their opinion yvas that the comet had been caused and sent by the Ovens blacks to do them some direful harm. They left the station, and did not return until the comet disappeared."
A comet again showed itself on the 21st December, 1844, about ten degrees above the south-west horizon. Its tail was ten or twelve degrees in length, and it yvas shooting upwards, and inclining towards the ecliptic. It remained visible for an hour; and though smaller was m u c h more magnificent in appearance than the comet of the year before. T h e next night it yvas not visible by reason of a hazy atmosphere ; but on the third night it showed itself more clearly about nine o'clock—apparently moving towards the zenith in a north-easterly direction.
Eclipses.
An eclipse of the sun yvas visible in Melbourne, at 7.40 a.m, 30th October, 1845. The luminary was obscured by a thick mist, and the unfavourable state of the yveather threatened to deprive expectant viewers of the sight altogether. About the time of the greatest phase, the sun burst forth occasionally, and then might be seen presenting the singular appearance of about a fourth of his disc being cut ayvay. Shortly before the termination, some fourteen minutes before ten, the clouds rolled off and alloyved a fine view of the glorious orb, gradually recovering its full proportions.
O n the 15th April, 1847, there was an eclipse of the sun at 4 p.m. T h e disc yvas partly obscured, and the obscuration increased until 4.30. p.m. when a third yvas under cover, and by 5 p.m. the half was hidden from view, so continuing until sunset. T h e greatest curiosity was manifested, and nearly all the townspeople turned into the streets operating with bits of smoked glass, and trying hard to obtain good " lunars " of the novel sight.
A total eclipse of the sun took place on the 18th August, 1849, yvhich was partially visible in Melbourne, and appeared to excite u n c o m m o n interest. It is thus described:—"AVhen first observable, about half-past three o'clock p.m., the m o o n appeared slowly making its yvay over the south-yvest limb of the sun, and the shadoyv gradually increased until about half-past four, when the centres of both luminaries seemed to lie in the same horizontal line, at yvhich time about one-third of the solar horizontal diameter appeared wanting, and the luminary looked as of a crescent form, the cusps being perpendicular to the horizon and pointing due south. Shortly after this an immense dense mass of cumulus cloud rose from the horizon to that part of the heavens yvhere the sun yvas, and completely hid him from vieyv, nor did he again shoyv till the morning of the 20th."
A partial eclipse of the m o o n appeared on the morning of the 3rd September, 1849. T h efirstcontact with the dark shadow took place at thirty-one degrees from the northernmost point of the mocn's limb towards the east, and the last contact was at sixty-four degrees from the aforesaid point towards the west. AVhen the phenomenon commenced, the entrance of the limb into the penumbra was preceded by a gradually increasing dimness, as if entering the margin of a light cloud, and during the whole time the eclipse remained, this dimness yvas continued along the margin of the penumbra, yvhich extended a considerable way over the moon's centre.
A n annular eclipse of the sun, visible at Melbourne, occurred on Saturday, the ist February, 1851.
Atmospherical Observations
AVere held of small account, and the thermometer and barometer were but little known in the olden times, possibly because the primitive colonists were too m u c h engrossed in settling down in the wilderness, or that such air-gauging appliances were scarce and little consonant with the public taste. T h efirstrecords of any climatic testing to be found is in the diary of the Rev. Robert Knopwood, the Chaplain to the Collins Convict Expedition, during its sojourn at Sorrento, in 1803-4. From entries therein, the 25th October is noted as a day exceedingly uncomfortable. At 12 the thermometer stood at 92 ; at 6.30 p.m. it was exceedingly cold, and it is remarked, " the sudden change from heat to cold is very great here, m u c h more than in England." O n the 31st, at 6 p.m., there was heavy rain; and at 8 much
