104 Edward Sang, Esq., on the 



therefore proceeded at once to make the necessary prepara- 

 tions, and obtained a readily granted leave of absence from 

 His Highness Ahmet Fethi Pasha. 



On learning the state of matters, His Excellency the 

 Baron TitoiF shewed all the anxiety to assist us which could 

 have been hoped from the most enthusiastic astronomer. 

 After weighing in his own mind the almost impossibility of 

 our reaching in time by help of a merchant vessel, M. TitofF 

 made me the unexpected and most welcome offer of a pas- 

 sage on board the brig of war Perseus, which was about 

 to return to Sebastople, and whose departure he proposed to 

 accelerate. Since, even this with aid, our only hope lay in 

 a change of weather, it is needless to say how gratefully I 

 accepted so liberal an offer. 



His Excellency M. Titoff having furnished me with letters 

 which every where procured for me the most courteous as- 

 sistance, we left the Bay of Buyukdere, under the command 

 of Prince Chickmakoff. early on the morning of the 21st. 

 Notwithstanding the most strenuous exertions, and the help 

 of the steamer Molnia, it was not until noon of the next day 

 that we succeeded in stemming the current and fairly launch- 

 ing into the Black Sea. 



The anxiety attending such hasty preparations being now 

 over, we had leisure to concoct our plans and to discuss the 

 nature of the instruments which we had collected. The 

 tedium of our voyage may be well relieved by an account of 

 both. 



The ingress of Mercury on the 8th November 1848 was 

 beautifully seen here. I had the good fortune to study it 

 with an excellent 4 J inch aperture refractor, by Plossel, 

 belonging to Ohanes Dadian, Esq. Having had every reason 

 to be satisfied with the performance of this instrument, and 

 being desirous of leaving my own telescope for the use of my 

 family, I applied to Mr Dadian, who at once most kindly 

 conceded to me the use of the Plosselsche. We constructed 

 a light octahedral frame of slender fir rods to fit upon the 

 eye-piece of the instrument, and to carry a card on which a 

 graduated circle was traced. The intention was to receive 

 the sun's image on this card, under a tent, and to watch there 



