456 CANADIAN LONGITUDES. 



of that city. On my arrival, the first object was to procure a suitable 

 place, not far from the telegraph wire, and permission was given to 

 make use of the top of the Exchange. 



. The transit instrument was placed upon a stack of chimneys, and a 

 temporary canvas cover erected to protect the instrument from the 

 wind. On the 28th October the transit instrument was in the meri- 

 dian, the telegraph wire was led up to the top of the house, and a 

 message sent to Quebec to be ready at 7 p.m. The night was fine and 

 clear, and we commenced by giving a signal to look out when a star 

 entered the field of the telescope, and as it passed each wire a single 

 dot was sent along the line to Quebec. The assistant, Mr. Heatley, 

 on the signal being given to look out, listened attentively to these dots 

 and to the tick of the sidereal clock, and registered the fraction of a 

 second : by these means the observations at Montreal were noted down 

 with all the ease and facility that could have been attained in a pro- 

 perly fitted observatory, instead of the temporary arrangement we had 

 on the top of a house. 



From the operators not understanding some technical expressions, 

 and from the novelty of the transaction, many stars were lost ; but 

 considering that it was a first trial we had every reason to expect that 

 we should finally succeed. 



On the following night we were again connected by the telegraph 

 wire, but after sending a few stars a great disagreement was found to 

 exist between this and the preceding night's work. On my taking ob- 

 servations to determine the errors of the instrument, I found that it 

 had moved considerably out of the meridian ; and subsequently I dis- 

 covered that the passing of a cart, even at the distance of two streets, 

 put the whole chimney in motion ; for this there was no remedy, and 

 the idea of succeeding with the present arrangement was hopeless. 



Havin|^ to return to Quebec, I left on the 2nd November, with the 

 knowledge gained by experience that a transit instrument placed on 

 the top of a house could only give doubtful observations, which were 

 worse than useless. 



On the 29th December I left Quebec for Toronto, and on my arrival 

 took up my quarters with my friend Professor Kingston of the Magne- 

 tic Observatory. Here there was every convenience, a small transit 

 instrument in position, and a sidereal clock. The observations for time 

 were under the superintendence of Professor Kingston. The distance 

 of the Observatory from the Telegraph Office is, I should think, about 



