296 TRANSIT OF VENUS, 1874. EGYPT. 



Sidereal Clock. Very little ligament. Having written down the seconds 

 I looked at the clock for the minutes. 



" On returning to the telescope I at once observed a thin line of light 

 surrounding Venus' limb at that part where contact had just taken place. 

 My first idea was that contact had not really occurred, but I almost imme- 

 diately saw the line of light projecting beyond the Sun distinctly into the sky. 

 (Figure 3, Plate X.) This appearance was permanent as long as I kept my 

 eye to the telescope some 80 to 100 seconds. I then removed the eye-piece 

 of 145, and replaced it with one of 52 diameters, with which I continued to 

 observe Venus until external contact. 



li m s 



" Estimated passage of Venus' center at 13. 36. 30 

 " Last External contact 13.51. 



" My sister was present during the last observation, and observed it with 

 me. 



"P. M. NEWTON." 



Miss NEWTON writes : 



" I noted Internal contact at 8 h . 10 m . 35 s . by Frodsham's Chronometer. 

 Appearance much the same as in the Model, but the ligament less sharply 

 defined. (Fig. 4, Plate X.) In a few seconds the ligament began to grow paler, 

 and at ll m . 30 s . seemed almost to disappear (Fig. 5, Plate X.), so that I 

 thought I must have been mistaken in my first observation of contact. Venus 

 appeared to touch the limb of the Sun without any ligament at 12 m . s . 



" At 8 h . 20 m . 50 s . the planet's disc began to assume the black drop 

 appearance. At 26 m . 30 s . it appeared as a semicircle. 



" I observed external contact by means of the image projected by 

 Mr. De la Hue's telescope at 13 h . 50 m . 50 s . by the clock Dent 2015. 



" E. M. NEWTON." 



The comparisons of the Solar Chronometer Frodsham ^-Q-g* with the transit 

 clock given on page 294 yield the following errors of the chronometer : 



* In the Parliamentary Report this number of the chronometer was erroneously given as 1752. 



