32 TRANSIT OF VENUS, 1874. HONOLULU. 



It may be stated here that the chronometers J, L, and N formed part of 

 Mr. Johnson's equipment at Waimea after 1874, November 6. 



Chronometers and Q were with Professor Forbes at Kailua. 



P was overwound during the first run. 



R was kept in use at Honolulu for comparing clocks. 



The chronometers U. V, and W were generally employed as the portable 

 watches to be carried ashore for comparison of chronometers. 



70. The 18 chronometers first on the above list were lodged 1874, 

 October 2, under the stage whence the model (see plan) was observed. 

 They were compared with the transit clock every Sunday at noon, which 

 served to indicate those which had the steadiest rates. and S were very 

 unsteady, while H, G-, B, C, D, and M seemed to be the most reliable. The 

 temperature was very uniform, at about 70. 



On 1874, November 2, and Q were sent to Kailua. On November 6, 

 J, L, and N, were sent to "Waimea. 



71. Captain Cator, of H.M.S. Scout having decided to send H.M.S. 

 Tenedos to Kailua for a short time, for the purpose of rendering assistance 

 to Professor Forbes during the Transit of Venus, advantage was taken of 

 this opportunity for comparing the transit clocks at Honolulu and Kailua. 



On December 5, at 4 p.m., the chronometers B, F, K, and M were placed 

 on board the Tetiedos, and well bedded in tow. U, V, and W occupied 

 their own places in the ship's chronometer box. The same evening the seven 

 were compared with the transit clock at Apua by Mr. Nichol and myself 

 using M, V, and W, to be carried ashore. 



72. Here it will be convenient to describe once for all how the chrono- 

 meters that never left the vessel were habitually compared with the transit 

 clocks on shore. At Honolulu the landing-place for ships in harbour was 

 1,300 yards distant from the observatory at Apua. The portable chronometers 

 were slowly carried by hand this distance, never placed in a vehicle. The three 

 solar chronometers used as portable watches (generally U, V, and W,) were 

 compared with the others, which may be called ship chronometers, then taken 

 on shore in a small boat, carried to the transit clock and compared with it 

 by coincidence of beats, taken back to the ship without loss of time, and 

 again compared with the ship chronometers. Everyone of these operations 

 was performed personally by Mr. Nichol or by myself. The comparison 

 of the portable watches with the others was effected by the same two 

 observers, one of whom gave signals with the beats of the ship chrono- 



