VOL. LXIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 511 



we saw one of our best seamen lianging by his feet in the main catharpins struck 

 dead ; another in the main-top was so miserably scorched as to remain senseless, 

 and still continues in a dangerous way. The boatswain's mate, who was near 

 him, had his arm so much hurt by the shock he received, as not to recover the 

 use of it for half an hour. Tlie face of the man killed was quite livid ; and 

 from the livid colour of the scorched places it appeared the lightning had 

 entered his head, come out again on the left side of his neck, and spread itself 

 down his left side and over his legs. The other man was struck down in the 

 main-top, his back much scorched, and on the inside of his right leg the stock- 

 ing burst open a little below the knee. The topgallant- masts, at the time they 

 were struck, had no iron work on them. On a careful examination, no visible 

 track of the lightning could be found on the masts, or any part over which it 

 had passed, nor was any damage done to the ship, masts, or rigging. 



XVI. Extracts of Three Letters from John Longjield, M. D. at Cork, contain- 

 ing some Astronomical Observations, p. 163. 



By a medium of a great number of meridian altitudes of the sun, and of 

 stars to the north and south of the zenith, the latitude of Dr. L.'s observatory 

 at Cork, was 31° 53' 54". But the observations of his friend, Mr. Elias 

 Mainaduc, gave him the latitude of Cork 51° 54', and the longitude 34-1- mi- 

 nutes of time west of Greenwich. 



Some of the observations are by Mr. Newenham, a young gentleman of 

 considerable abilities, who resides on a hill, about 2400 yards e. answering to a 

 difference of meridians of 7-| seconds of time, and 600 n. of Dr. L.'s observatory, 

 answering to 18" difference of latitude, and has a clock with a wooden pendulum; 

 a transit telescope of 30 inches in length, with an acromatic object-glass ; and a 

 reflecting telescope of 18 inches focus, made by Dollond. Mr. Mainaduc's ob- 

 servatory was l600 feet due w. of Dr. L.'s, answering to a difference of meridian 

 of 5 seconds of time. 



The magnetic variation 24° w. in July 1778. 



The Longitude of Cork settled from the foregoing Observations compared with 

 others made at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. By Nevil Maskelyne, 

 D. D., F. R. S., and Astronomer Royal, p. 179. 



The observations made at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich nearest to those 

 made at Cork are as follow : and the error of the Nautical Almanac with respect 

 to the time observed is set down, and also the correction of the Nautical Almanac, 

 with respect to the time observed, and reduced to the effect of a 3 feet telescope, 

 which shows the immersions of the first satellite sooner, and the emersions later 

 than the 6 feet reflector does by about 13 seconds. 



