There is a fairly well known story that the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh predicted both the solar eclipse of June 16, 1806 and the New Madrid Earthquake of December 16, 1811, and used this to convince the Shawnee the gods supported war against the white man. One version of the story says Tecumseh knew about the eclipse in advance because he had seen it forecast in an almanac. I have read speculation that Twain drew upon this story for the scene in *A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court *in which Hank Morgan out-wizards Merlin by predicting a solar eclipse. Does anyone on the list know if there is evidence to support that? Thanks! Bill -- William B. Robison, PhD Department Head / Professor of History Department of History and Political Science Southeastern Louisiana University SLU 10895 Hammond LA 70402 985-549-2109 phone 985-549-2012 fax [log in to unmask] http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/depts/hist_ps/index.html http://www.tudorsonfilm.com/ http://www.impairedfaculties.com/ History teaches students to read intelligently, think analytically, write clearly, accurately assess past trends, rationally predict future developments, and understand the real world. Now *that* is workforce-ready! History does offer us very real lessons, but they are seldom simple and straightforward. To understand and benefit from them, you have to know your history very well. That is why history matters as much as math, science, technology, or any other subject. "A young horse is fast, but an old horse knows what's going on." – Muddy Waters