OBSERVATIONS 
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN JUNE 16, 1806, MADE AT SALEM, 
By NATHANIEL BOWDITCH, a.m. et a. a. s- 
; ED 3 GD 2 a 
‘Tue chronometer made use of in observing this eclipse 
had been kept going for that purpose nearly seven months, during 
which time it moved with great regularity, losing about 1} second per 
day. Great pains were taken to regulate it on the day of the eclipse 
by correspo ding altitudes of f. the — gbserved in ‘the Sete 
lite made by Jones, furnished with spirit levels to piste it Faria to 
the horizon, and a quadrant of altitude graduated to minutes, to which 
was attached a telescope with cross wires, having a magnifying pow- 
er of about twenty times. Five sets of altitudes of the sun were ob- 
served in the morning from 6h. 41m. 21s. to 7h. 23m. 38s. each set 
contained six observations of the lower, and six of the upper, limb. 
In the afternoon from 4h. 36m. 27s. to 5h. 20m. 47s. seven similar sets 
were observed. Before and after each set the index error of the quad- 
rant was found by observing several times the difference. between ze- 
ro on the limb and on the nonius, when the spirit level attached to the 
telescope was horizontal, and taking the mean of the observations. By 
the mean of all these observations the time of apparent noon by the 
chronometer was found to be 12h. 2m. 10s.8, and as the mean time 
of apparent noon on that day was 12h. Om. 6s.8, the chronometer was 
2m. 4s. too fast for mean time atnoon. The eclipse happened so near 
to noon, that it was thought unnecessary to apply a correction for the 
