OBSERVATIONS AT WINNIPEG. 98 
wedge used giving too dark a field, but sun very much too bright to be observed without 
the wedge. This applies more particularly to the fourth contact ; at times near the third 
contact the illumination was nearly as bright as I desired but considering the observation 
as a whole the field was too dark. 
“I should say that the time of actual internal contact—“ the first appearance of any 
well marked and persistant discontinuity in the illumination of the sum near the point 
of contact ’—was considerably nearer the first time 1h. 21m. 55 sec. (uncorrected) than the 
last 1h. 22m. 11 sec. The time I would wish to be taken as the moment of contact as 
above defined is 1h. 22m. 0 sec. on chronometer which was at the time of observation 
60°6 sec. fast, making the actual local time of contact 1h. 20m. 59.4 sec. 
“ At 1h. 42m. 13s. equal to 1h. 41m. 12°4s. local time there was the slightest possible 
appearance of a gap in the limb of the sun. Just then the illumination became very bad 
and my eye being rather tired, I lost sight of the point of contact.” 
I have preferred to give my notes as made during the progress of the observations 
and immediately after them rather than what might perhaps better express my meaning, 
written at this time. I desire however to make the following addition to these notes :— 
Definition was fairly good, there being little or no boiling of the sun’s limb. My 
remarks as to illumination were written immediately after the fourth contact and were 
made with the then condition of the atmosphere in my mind and were undoubtedly 
intended to refer to that time only. 
These remarks are however correctly qualified in what follows them. The important 
point is that at third contact the seeing was sufficiently good to leave no doubt whatever 
as to what I saw. There was no “black drop” but merely a haze which gradually 
increased to complete darkness. There was no haze at 1h. 21m. 55 sec. (chronometer time) 
but it was the last instant at which I could definitely say there was no appearance of 
haze. I waited rather too long before giving the second signal at 1h. 22m. 11 sec. (chro- 
nometer time) and for this reason made the note attached thereto. 
The time I have indicated as what I would desire to be taken as the time of the third 
contact must be very near the truth. 
I stopped observing at 1h. 24m. and did not recommence until th. 39m. 
The word “approximate ” following the remark opposite to 1h. 42m. 13 sec. does not 
express what was intended. At that time the gap was seen but it was not seen after- 
wards. Had I continued to see it I do not think that an appearance of “ gap” would 
have been visible for more than five seconds after the recorded time. 
The minutes entered in the record preceeding and following times of contact are the 
minutes during which counting was continued. After both internal and external contacts 
I verified Mr. Payne’s counting by looking at the chronometer and his record while he 
still continued to count seconds. 
