40 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF THE 



The American Society did not proceed so fast. 

 They did nothing for six months, but elect new mem- 

 bers, among whom was Dr. Benjamin Bush, and 

 order Thomson's proposals to be printed in the 

 Pennsylvania Chronicle. They postponed from time 

 to time the consideration of their new rules, which 

 were not agreed upon, until the 23rd of September, 

 as will be shown in its place. 



I do not find, on examining their minutes, that 

 during the summer and autumn of 1768, the Amer- 

 ican Society did anything worthy of remark that may 

 properly be called Philosophical; while on the con- 

 trary, the Philosophical Society, (to their honor be 

 it spoken) was actively engaged in objects well 

 worthy of the name they had assumed. 



The transit of the planet Venus over the disk of 

 the Sun, was expected to happen on the 3rd of June 

 in the following year. The Society employed itself 

 in preparatory measures for making astronomical 

 observations upon that phenomenon in due time. 



One of their members, Mr. James Dickinson, made 

 a proposal to the Society for observing the transit 

 at James' Bay (part of Hudson's Bay) and for 

 reconnoitring and making a map of the Country 

 from the South end of Hudson's Bay, extending 

 towards the head of the Mississippi. He offered at 

 the same time to undertake in person the conducting 

 of the observation of the transit and making the 

 other necessary observations on the country. The 



