VENUS ON THE SUN'S FACE. 81 



its indications than from those of any other transit 

 which will happen in the course of the next few cen- 

 turies. 



The transit will begin earliest for observers in the 

 neighborhood of the Sandwich Islands, latest for ob- 

 servers near Crozet Island, far to the southeast of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. It ends earliest for observers 

 far to the southwest of Cape Horn, latest for observers 

 in the northeastern parts of European Russia. Thus 

 we see that, so far as the application of our second 

 method is concerned, the suitable spots are not situated 

 in the most inviting regions of the earth's surface. 

 As the transit happens on December 8, 1874, the 

 principal northern stations will be very bleak abodes 

 for the observers. The southern stations are in yet 

 more dreary regions notwithstanding the fact that 

 the transit occurs during the summer of the southern 

 hemisphere. 



For the application of Halley's method we require 

 stations where the whole transit will be visible, and, as 

 the days are very short at the northern stations in 

 December, it is as respects these that we encounter 

 most difficulty. However, it has been found that 

 many places in Northern China, Japan, Eastern Si- 

 beria, and Mantchooria are suitable for the purpose. 

 The best southern stations for this method lie, unfor- 

 tunately, on the unexplored Antarctic Continent and 

 the islands adjacent to it ; but Crozet Island, Ker- 



