88 (TRANSIT OF VENUS.) MR. CHARLES CARPMAEL : 
Kingston—$ee report. 
Cobourg—See report. 
Belleville—Observer : Mr. Shearman—Instruments, 4-inch achromatic. 
Ottawa—Observer: F. L. Blake, D.L.S.; assistant, Mr. B. C. Webber. Instruments, a 4- 
inch achromatic from McGill University ; a transit instrument lent by the depart- 
ment of the interior. 
Montreal—See account elsewhere. 
Quebec—Observer: Lieut. Gordon, R. N.; assistant, W. A. Ashe, D.L.S. Instruments, an 
eight inch equatorial, by Alvan Clark and Sons, aperture reduced to six inches. 
Halifax—Observer: Mr. A. Allison. Instruments, a four inch achromatic by Dollond., etc. 
Charlottetown—Observer: F, J. Cundall, C.E.—Instruments, four inch achromatic., etc. 
Fredericton—Observer : Dr. Jack. Instruments, a 7 inch equatorial reduced to six inches, 
a transit, ete. 
As the instant at which certain phases appeared had to be noted, it was essential to 
the success of the observations that the various observers should have correct time. Arran- 
gements were accordingly made with the Great North Western and Western Union Tele- 
graph Companies, for an exchange of time signals. The observers at Halifax, Fredericton 
and also at Montreal, exchanged time with Lieut. Gordon at Quebec ; and Quebec, Montreai 
and all points in Ontario, with myself at Toronto. We had thus on the night before the 
transit, a complete interchange between all stations, with the exception of Winnipeg ; 
and it was further arranged that those stations where observations were secured should 
come on again for a second interchange on the night after the transit, and accordingly, on 
the night of the 6th, I again exchanged time with Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, and 
Ottawa and also with Montreal. 
On the day of the transit, the stations at which contacts were secured were :— 
Winnipeg,—the two last contacts. 
Cobourg,—third contact, atmosphere, however, very unsteady. 
Belleville, third contact, imperfect. 
Kingston, the second, third and fourth contacts. 
Ottawa, the second, third and fourth contacts. 
Before proceeding to the reports of the various observers, it will be well to consider 
the errors of the time-pieces employed. At all the stations with the exception of Win- 
nipeg, the times may be directly compared with the Toronto clock, there having, as already 
stated, been an interchange both on the night preceeding and on the night following the 
transit. 
I have taken great pains to ascertain, as closely as I could, what were the errors of 
the Toronto sidereal clock on the two nights in question. 
In signalling the time on the night at the 5th, the time signalled as an exact minute 
was the 33 seconds by the chronometer, on the night of the 6th the second signalled was 
the 34th. The return signals from all stations, except Kingston and Montreal, were made 
by hand, either from clock or chronometer, and were estimated at Toronto, by ear. 
