TRANSIT OF VENUS, 1874. 237 



OBSERVATIONS AT WAIMEA, ISLAND OF KAUAI (ATOOI). 



BY RICHARD JOHNSON, ESQ. 



Mr. Johnson, accompanied by Sub-Lieutenant R. H. Wellings, R.N., and 

 some artificers, left Honolulu for Kauai, 1874, November 6. Receiving much- 

 friendly assistance from Mr. Kanutsen, the principal resident, he found at 

 Waimea a suitable dwelling-house with convenient ground around it, a 

 portion of which was fenced in for the observatories. The position with 

 regard to surrounding objects was surveyed and plotted, as in the accom- 

 panying plan, by Mr. J. N. Gay, Surveyor, of Honolulu. It was about 

 80 feet above the sea, and half a mile inland from the landing-place. The 

 exact site of the transit pier, in case of its removal, could be recovered from 

 the following description : Near the edge of the rocky cliff overhanging 

 Valley Road, 35 feet E.S.E. from the S. corner of the dwelling-house, a 

 mark /f\ has been chiselled in the rock and filled with cement. From this 

 spot the bearings below were taken : 



O I 



Lehau Island, highest peak - - N. 8 1 . 1 2 . W. (true) 



Old Russian Fort at mouth of stream - - S. 12. 5o. E. 



Sharp Peak in Kauai Range - - N. 67. 5o. E. 



Transit pier, distant 23i feet - S. 78. 55. W. 



Two similar marks were cut in the rock on the edge of the cliff to the 

 S.W., distant 90 and 346 feet respectively from the above-mentioned mark, 

 and distant 174 and 199 feet respectively from the transit pier. 



Mr. Johnson was provided with a transit instrument and three chronometers 

 for obtaining local time. The chronometers are those named J, L, and N in 

 the list at page 31. The dial of N was divided to 24 hours ; it was regulated 

 to Sidereal time, and Mr. Johnson used it when observing. Chronometer J, 

 with 12-hour dial, was also regulated to Sidereal time, while L was a mean- 

 time chronometer. The three were kept on the transit pier and inter- 

 compared (by coincidence of beats) twice a day (Table V.). 



The transit instrument, which was kindly lent to the Astronomer Royal 

 by REGINALD BUSHELL, Esq., of Hinderton, near Chester, was made by 

 Messrs. Troughton and Simms. The object glass was 2|- inches aperture 

 and 31 inches focal length. The Y's were supported by short stone piers, 

 which stood upon a stone slab forming the top of a substantial brick pier, 



HH 2 



