SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 347 



in perfect safety. In his expedition he was sometimes 

 surrounded by the crowd of impatient and angry na- 

 tives, and had to show his pistols in order to control 

 them. He went among them with a single attendant 

 only. 



The event so anxiously expected, of the Transit, 

 took place at the time prefixed by the calculations, 

 June 3. As the critical day approached, the general 

 anxiety increased, and it descended from the astro- 

 nomer himself to the humblest mariner of the expedi- 

 tion. On the night of the 2nd not an eye was closed. 

 One rose every half hour to report the state of the 

 weather to the rest, who were kept on the alert by the 

 hope which arose when the sky was reported clear, or 

 the fear which the mention of a cloud produced ; but 

 next morning, to their unspeakable delight, the sun 

 was seen to rise without a cloud, and the serene clear 

 sky continued during the day. The observations were 

 accordingly among the best of any which the different 

 astronomers made of the phenomenon. The precau- 

 tion had been taken, judiciously suggested by Lord 

 Moreton, of making the observation at more places 

 than one; and Mr. Banks accompanied the party 

 which was despatched for that purpose to the Island of 

 Eimeo. An officer was sent to another station on the 

 main island, while Captain Cook and Dr. Solander 

 remained at the fort erected at Otaheite, with Mr. 

 Green, who there found the first external contact to 

 be at 9, 25, 42, and the beginning of emersion, and 

 the total emersion 3, 32, 10 ; so that about six hours 

 of serene and clear weather were required for this 

 important observation. The latitude was 17 29' 15" 

 south, the longitude 149 32' 30" west. 



In the same year the transit of Mercury was after- 

 wards observed with equal success in the island of 

 Major near Mowtohera on the 9th November. The 

 weather, though it had been very thick for several 

 days before, proved most propitious on the 9th. Mr. 



