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^ 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 Royal 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 



