PREPARATIONS AT McGILL COLLEGE. 85 
The special distribution of work was as follows :—While the observer's entire attention 
was given to his telescope, an assistant at the word “count ” from the observer would begin 
counting seconds from the chronometer ; another assistant, with paper and pencil in hand 
sat at the table listening attentively, and at the word “now ” from the observer, instansly 
noted the minute, second and estimated fraction of a second, as heard from the student 
counting. A third assistant, who also noted the time, as a check, was ready to take notes of 
what the observer saw, as soon as the immediate crowding of phenomena had passed away 
and gave an interval for description. Other assistants had other duties. There had been 
complete rehearsals of all that was to be done for several days before December 6th, so that 
every man was familiar with his special work. The chronometers, two of which had been 
borrowed in the city, were regularly compared with the transit clock to ascertain their 
errors and rates. Time signals had been exchanged with Toronto and Quebec on December 
5th, and, as a check on the clock, time was also obtained from the Washington Naval 
Observatory at noon on December 5th, and afterwards on the 6th. 
The weather was very unfavorable for many days before the 6th. Nevertheless on that 
day the oberving parties assembled at the appointed hour at the Observatory, compared 
chronometers with the clock, and went to their several stations. Nine o'clock came, and 
still the sun was hidden. The minutes then passed all too rapidly, until it was certain 
that first contact was passed. As 9" 30™ approached, the intensity of expectation was 
greater, but the sky showed no signs of hopeful change. At length, the time for the 
second contact too had passed, and our on!y hope was that the afternoon might be better. 
At 10° 5", too late to be of any service to us, the sun shone out, and Venus could be seen 
plainly on its disk. The afternoon was equally unfavorable with the morning and no con- 
tacts were seen. The ill-success at Montreal was compensated to some extent at the other 
two stations, Winnipeg and Ottawa, to which the Montreal instruments had been sent. 
