THE COMING TRANSIT OF VENUS. 39 



Amongst the mistakes pointed out by me in 1869 was 

 the complete omission of all notice of stations admir 

 ably placed in Northern India for observing the 

 retarded end of the transit. Thus at Peshawur the 

 transit will begin 10 J minutes late, the sun having an 

 elevation of 31 \ degrees. If Peshawur be not conve 

 niently accessible, then Delhi and the country around 

 would serve nearly as well astronomically. I supposed, 

 until quite recently, that this suggestion, like the more 

 important one relating to Possession Island, would 

 receive no attention. But I was gratified a few weeks 

 ago, by hearing from the Astronomer Eoyal that my 

 discussion of the bubject had induced him to urge that 

 a station should be selected ; somewhere in the North 

 of India. I may be permitted to add (since I do so 

 from no personal gratification, but to give a weight to 

 my present arguments, which otherwise they might 

 not possess) that in the same letter the Astronomer 

 Royal described my researches on the transit of Venus 

 as probably the best of all contributions from 

 Englishmen and foreigners. Apart therefore from the 

 circumstance that though many have discussed my 

 researches not one astronomer has questioned the 

 accuracy of my chief conclusions, I have now the recog 

 nition tardy indeed, but not the less sufficient 

 of the astronomer whose work I criticised. If I use 

 this as a lever to advance my present argument, it is 

 because I feel that the scientific credit of this country 

 is likely to be affected if England does not discharge 

 her duty in this matter. I am satisfied, moreover, that 



