WHARTON'S OBSERVATIONS OF THE TRANSIT. 385 



this haze was not distinctly defined, and did not seem to change colour 

 before disappearance. The moment of total disappearance of haze was 

 tolerably defined, but I could not be certain to two or three seconds. The 

 band of haze did not narrow at all before it broke, so far as I could see. 



Venus on the Sun did not appear to me to be perfectly round. The 

 eccentricity took the form of a protuberance in a direction about 20 farther 

 from the vertex than the point of contact. Of this I would not be certain, 

 but it so appeared to me. 



At Egress the limb was much less disturbed than at Ingress. The brown 

 haze appeared quickly, though not well defined at its edges, as a ligament ; 

 it was of considerable breadth, and after a few seconds darkened perceptibly ; 

 the exact instant of this was not very well marked. 



When Venus' outer limb touched the Sun's limb, the appearance of light 

 all round again was visible for a second. 



The limb protruding into space was then again illuminated for nearly 

 seven minutes ; when 'the light gradually died out from the quarter nearest 

 the vertex, leaving only the other quarter illuminated. This remained so for 

 14 minutes after Egress, or until nearly half the planet was clear of the 

 Sun. (See Diagram 4.) 



The power was 160, and the dark shade was a red glass of not a very deep 

 tint. 



I should say that Point Coton was undoubtedly the best position for the 

 observation of the transit ; but from the nature of the reef skirting it, it 

 woiild have been impossible to get heavy instruments and stores landed 

 without much risk and delay, not having any flat bottomed boats for the 

 service ; and there is no road nor path from Port Mathurin. 



OBSERVATION of the TRANSIT. 



At Ingress. 



Times by Chronometer 

 Poole 1086. 



h m i 



First saw Venus 9. 28. 



Observed outer limb of Venus outside Sun illuminated 9. 52. 



Observed cone of shadow 9. 53. 



The^outer limb of Venus being illuminated, there seemed to 

 be no black drop for a few seconds ; when that limb came 

 in contact with the visible Sun light shone all round Venus. 

 Time for this 9. 55. 26-4 



