840 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



turbances which Jupiter inflicted upon its orbit," and contributed 

 accounts of the phenomena to the Boston newspapers. 



Like the earthquake already mentioned, the comet of 1759 

 aroused considerable popular apprehension, and the following 

 passage from one of his lectures, in which the professor essayed 

 to calm this feeling, will serve as a good sample of his style : " It 

 may not be unseasonable to remark, for a conclusion, that as, on 

 the one hand, it argues a temerity unworthy a philosophic mind, 

 to explode every apprehension of danger from comets, as if it were 

 impossible that any damage could ever be occasioned by any of 

 them, because some idle and superstitious fancies have in times 

 of ignorance prevailed concerning them ; so on the other, to be 

 thrown into a panic whenever a comet appears, on account of the 

 ill effects which some few of these bodies might possibly produce, 

 if they were not under a proper direction, betrays a weakness 

 equally unbecoming a reasonable being." 



The transits of Yenus, which were not to occur again until 

 1874 and 1882, were precious opportunities for astronomical work, 

 and preparations were widely made to take advantage of them. 

 The governor of the province, Francis Bernard, was interested in 

 the matter by Prof. Winthrop, and sent a message to the House 

 of Representatives, stating that the King of England had sent " a 

 Man-of-War with Mathematicians to be stationed in different 

 Parts of the East Indies, etc.," to observe the transit ; that the 

 French king and other powers had taken similar action, the com- 

 parison of observations taken in different parts of the earth being 

 important, that Prof. Winthrop had offered to go to Newfound- 

 land for the same purpose, and he therefore recommended that 

 the House furnish the professor transportation on the province 

 sloop, which would be sent to Penobscot a little before the time 

 of the transit. The House of Representatives immediately passed 

 a vote in accordance with this suggestion. 



The sloop with Prof. Winthrop on board sailed from Boston 

 May 9th, and reached St. John's thirteen days later. The pro- 

 fessor took with him the college instruments and two members of 

 the senior class. Some difficulty was met with in finding a suita- 

 ble station, but at last a position was taken on a considerable ele- 

 vation, which was afterward named Venus Hill. The work of 

 setting up the clock and other instruments was made arduous by 

 persecution from swarms of bloodthirsty insects, which had pos- 

 session of the hill. June 6th was the day of the transit, and the 

 weather proved favorable. In every part of America except Lab- 

 rador, the phenomenon began before sunrise. At St. John's the 

 sun rose at 4 h. 18 m., with Venus upon its disk, from which the 

 planet passed off at 5 h. 6 m. On his return Prof. Winthrop pub- 

 lished an account of his voyage and his observations. 



