336 



TRANSIT OF VENUS, 1874. EGYPT. 



The definition throughout has been imperfect, clouds continually passing. 

 I saw the Sun for the first time, for a second, about 15 minutes before the 

 first observation, and not again until one minute or so before the first 

 recorded measure. The power used for the observation of contact was 126. 

 An assistant recorded the time and observations. 



For some time after contact, until 13' 1 . 31 m . at least, the edge of Venus was 

 brilliantly illuminated that edge which had just left the Sun so that for a 

 little I thought the Sun was appearing behind it still, although the cusps 

 were then well marked, as in Fig. 4, Plate XI. It was a clear silvery light, 

 like the edge of a cloud. 



There was no distortion of the planet during the observation, except at the 

 first formation of the cusps, when, as seen in the double-image micrometer, 

 the points were much blunted. No blunted points were observed during the 



disappearance of the following limb. 



S. HUNTER. 



For Mr. Hunter's observations are obtained the following local and 

 Greenwich times and final equations, assuming the Latitude 29. 58'. 23". N., 

 Longitude 2 h . 10 m . 13 s -17, E. : 



Taking R = 16'. 16" -82, r = 31'H2, and the Mean Solar Parallax 

 = 8" -950 (l + j^j). we have for the internal contact 



+ 3"- 77 = -"-2021 n - -2443 8 E.A. - 9643 8 N.P.D. +"'o3 4 2 8 t - 8 K + 8 r, 



and for the external contact 



+ i"-87 = "-2IOO n -335i 8 R.A. '9314 S N.P.D. +"'0404 8 t 8 R S r. 



The transit instrument used by Mr. Hunter at Suez has already been 

 described in the account of operations at Alexandria. At Suez it was 

 mounted on a pier of masonry to the S.E. of the Chalet of the KHEDIVE, on 

 the north side of the town, as described in Mr. Hunter's letter. 



