PCETPSEsor’ran SUN" zoe 
ral days before, was fo cloudy that I attempted in vain to 
regulate my clock, though I watched every favourable 
opportunity. On the day of the eclipfe I got it pretty 
well adjufted by feveral correfponding altitudes of the fun. 
About 1" p. m. the clouds gathered fo much round the 
fun, that I was apprehenfive they would prevent any ob- 
fervation. But being pretty much fcattered, at 1° 36’ 42" 
apparent time, I could very plainly perceive that the 
eclipfe was juft begun. This I judged was very near the 
beginning, if not exaCly fo, though it was attended with 
fome uncertainty. In a few minutes the fun was wholly 
covered with the clouds, and remained thus till 32", when 
they began again to fcatter, and left that part of the hea- 
vens in which the fun appeared, perfectly clear. The 
-weather continued: thus till the end of the eclipfe, which 
-by a good obfervation was at 3" 47, 2”. Thefe obfervati- 
ons were made with a reflector made by Nazrne, magni- 
fying as near as I could judge about fixty times; but as 
to the quantity of the eclipfe, no obfervation could be made, 
the fun being obfcured by the clouds the biggeft part of 
the time.. 
N° XXXIIL. 
An eafy and accurate Method of finding a true Meridian 
Line, and thence the Variation of the Compa/s. 
Ly RoBERT PATTERSON. 
Read Apr. , F the various methods which aftronomers 
sae employ for finding a true’ meridian line, 
none feems fo well adapted, as could be withed, to the 
common ufe of furveyors, in finding’ the variation of the 
Compafs. 
To find the azimuth of the fun by a fingle obfervation 
of his altitude, befides a quadrant which 1s neceflary fo 
thi. 
