VOL. LIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 645 



Transit of Venus, observed at the North Cape. 



1769,'June 3. At 13'' 46™ 40' per clock, or 9^ o™ 2% apparent time, the sun 

 came out from under a cloud, with Venus on it, about ^ of her diameter ; and 

 at 14'' O™ 4P or 9'' 14™ 1% apparent time, Venus's outer limb seemed to be in 

 contact with the sun's limb ; but no light of that part of the sun's limb could be 

 seen, Venus being apparently joined to the sun's limb by a black ligament, which 

 gradually diminished in breadth; and at 14*' 1™ 36', or 9'' 14™ 56', the sun's 

 light broke through it, and Venus and the sun were to appearance perfect (this 

 was certain to about 10 or 15 seconds of time), and the black ligament con- 

 tracted itself, so that Venus was considerably within the sun's limb, suppose -^ 

 of her diameter. 



During these observations the air was red and hazy, and the sun's limb very 

 tremulous, and the spots in the sun very indistinct, and Venus seemed very ill 

 defined when on the sun. By a mean of 12 observations the diameter of Venus 

 measured 5 5'.32 ; also the sun's horizontal diameter 31' 37*.6l, and his vertical 

 diameter 30' 50".73. 



Eclipse of the Sun, observed at the North Cape. 



June 3, 1769. At 1*'48'" 4% the clouds clearing away, Mr. B. saw the sun, 

 when the moon had made a small impression or notch in the sun's limb ; by 

 observing the increase of the eclipse, he supposed it began 4, 5, or 6 seconds 

 sooner than he first saw it, or at l'' 48"" O' per clock, or iO*" 59'" 19' apparent 

 time, nearly. 



Clouds came on, so that he saw the sun no more till 3^ 38™ 0' per clock, and it 

 broke away very clear, and continued clear to the end, which was at 3'' 48™ 19* 

 per clock, or ii*" 59™ 17' apparent time. The air being very clear, the end 

 seemed certain to about two seconds. The telescope used was a reflector of 2 

 feet focus, made by Mr. Dollond ; and the magnifying power, applied for the 

 ingress of Venus, and the beginning and end of the solar eclipse, was 100. 

 The magnifying power used with the micrometer, was 30. 



Sun's horizontal diameter, measured directly after the eclipse ended, by a mean 

 of 5 was 31' 35".9. 



By comparing the end with Mr. Maskelyne's observation at Greenwich, the 

 difference of meridians comes out 1*" 44™ 6' of time, = 26° l' 30* east, or dif- 

 ference of longitude of Mr. B.'s observatory from Greenwich to the east. 

 Whence the longitude of the point called the North Cape is 25° 49' east of 

 Greenwich. 



From the foregoing zenith distances of the sun, and of Arcturus, and a. Lyrae, 

 the latitude of the observatory is determined by a medium, 71° O' 47". Whence 

 the latitude of the point of land called the North Cape is 71° 10' north. By a 



