84 (TRANSIT OF VENUS) DR. A. JOHNSON ON THE 
set at rest to a great extent, though not wholly, by the money grant made in April, 1882 (I 
think), by the Dominion Parliament for observations in Canada generally. The administration 
of this grant was placed in the hands of Mr. Carpmael, Superintendent of the Meteorological 
Service, Toronto. By means of this grant it was possible to establish a station at Winnipeg, 
where Prof. McLeod (Superintendent of the Meteorological Observatory, McGill College) 
subsequently took observations, using the Ross telescope, described above, among other 
instruments. Another McGill College telescope (the Drummond), and a transit instrument 
(the latter of which, however, was subsequently not required), were sent to Ottawa for the 
use of the observers stationed there. But these instruments did not leave the College until 
October or November. Before that time a good deal of work had been done, in the 
observers’ training especially. 
The “model” which had been obtained from England by Mr. Carpmael, through 
Lieut. Gordon, had been sent up on the cupola of the College, and “ model practice” had 
been carried on systematically. The observers at first were Dr. Jack, of New Brunswick, 
Mr. Carpmael, Prof. McLeod and myself. Subsequently we had the McGill College 
observers only who are mentioned farther on. 
When this “ model” was removed to Toronto for use by other observers assembled 
there, another model made in Montreal after the same pattern was substituted for it, and 
with this, practice was continued from time to time. An exact determination of the 
longitude being of great importance, it was resolved to check that previously adopted, and 
accordingly Prof. McLeod connected the Observatory by triangulation with a post of the U.S. 
Coast Survey which was not very far off on the mountain, and by this means found the 
longitude to be 4" 54" 18° 87 W., differing slightly from that previously used. Further 
determinations are yet to be made on this point by the telegraphic method, connnecting 
with Harvard Observatory, U.S. 
[This has since been done, viz., in July, 1883, by Prof. Rogers, of Harvard, and Prof. 
McLeod ; three night’s observations having been taken simultaneously in each place; the 
obseryers then exchanging places, Prof. Rogers coming to Montreal and Prof. McLeod going 
to Harvard, when three more night’s observations were taken. The observations altogether 
covered more than three weeks. | 
The following statement will be sufficient as regards other arrangements. The distri- 
bution of the instruments to Winnipeg and Ottawa has already been mentioned. Prof. 
McLeod went to Winnipeg about the middle of November. Mr. Chandler, Mathematical 
Lecturer in the Faculty of Applied Science, McGill College, undertook to observe the 
transit at Montreal with the 2? inch telescope. Another telescope of the same size having 
subsequently been kindly lent by Mr. William Bell Dawson, M.A., M.E., a third observer 
for the Montreal station, Mr. J. R. Murray, B.A., then a fourth year student in Arts, was 
ready to take a share in the work. 
Mr. Chandler’s station was near to the reservoir, where a wooden hut had been 
erected for the purpose. Mr. Murray was to observe from the balcony in front of the centre 
building in the forenoon and from an upper room on the west side in the afternoon. The 
64 inch equatorial was, of course, to be in the Observatory building, in which important 
alterations had been specially made. A considerable number of students had volunteered 
assistance in various capacities, so that the members of the three observing parties amounted 
to eighteen in all, including the observers. 
