202 ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS 



of south, and is two thousand three hundred 

 and seventy-nine yards distant from it. 



It may be satisfactory to state what sort of 

 instrument I have used, and how it has been 

 applied in pursuing my inquiries. 



The instrument employed for ascertaining the 

 Latitude, is a theodolite, with vertical and hori- 

 zontal circles, six inches diameter; divided into 

 20' of a degree, with verniers, to read off to 

 15'^: — the vertical screw on which it is placed, 

 is fixed in a stone that is set in a brick wall. 



Having first ascertained that the vertical axis 

 was placed so as to allow a true horizontal 

 motion to the instrument, and that the horizon- 

 tal axis would allow a true vertical motion to 

 the telescope, I proceeded to find the meridian 

 in the following manner. 



The altitude of the sun*s lower limb was 

 taken, when he was as far eastward as circum- 

 stances would allow, his lower limb touching 

 the horizontal wire, and his western limb the 

 vertical wire, in the telescope : — the situation 

 upon the horizontal circle was then noted down, 

 in degrees, minutes and seconds ; and letting 

 the telescope remain at the same elevation, the 



