Mr. Paine on the Latitude of Boston. 71 
about ninety seconds nearer the equator than had been supposed. 
My absence from the United States in the winter of 1827-28 
interrupted my observations, which were resumed in the autumn 
of the latter year, with another instrument by the same maker. 
With this, 194 altitudes were measured in October, November, 
and December, 1828, and in January, 1829. Although this 
instrument was small, the result shows, that it is equally to be 
depended on with the larger. The altitudes were measured 
within a few minutes of noon, and reduced to the meridian, by 
the rules of spherical trigonometry. In January, 1829, I again 
had recourse to the sextant first used, and, in the course of that 
month, of February, March, and April, measured with it 369 
altitudes more; having continued my observations until the 
double altitude of the Sun became too great to be ascertained 
with an instrument of reflection. 
Within a very short time I have also obtained a few altitudes 
with a new sextant by Parkinson and Frodsham, and with a 
repeating circle made by Troughton for the United States, which 
have verified the results given by the two sextants by Ramsden. 
The surprising agreement between the results of these two 
instruments is rendered the more satisfactory from the circum- 
stance, that the smaller was used when the Sun was near the 
winter solstice, and the double altitude between 48° and 689, 
and the larger, when the Sun was in general much nearer the 
elevated pole, and the double altitude between 56° and 124°, 
On reference to the manuscript containing my observations, 
which I have the honor herewith to present to the Society, it will 
be observed, that the Refraction, the Reduction to noon, and the 
Declination of the Sun, were calculated for, and the latitude de- 
duced from each altitude; that the last 350 observations did 
