TRANSIT OF MERCURY. 161 
delay—the triangulation of the Colony is so far advanced that 
we were able to connect directly with fixed points in the main 
triangulation, thus securing accurate positions with very little 
trouble. 
Under favourable circumstances Mercury has por fait a= 
seen projected on the light about the sun just be 
this occasion, although we were all on the witek foe it, no 
was also unfavourable ; certain it is, however, that we did not 
see it, and no one caught first contact until there was so much 
of it that he felt he was late. Such was my own case at 8h. 21m. 
; Mr. Morris, 8. 22. 15.; Mr. Hargrave, g 22. 
8, 22, 3.; Mr. Conder, 8. 22. 5.; Mr. Brooks, 8. 22. 3. ; a suffi- 
net variety to prove the difficulty of catching the first external 
contact. It will, however, be arg: that the four on the high 
land are within 5 seconds of the same time, and two are alike. 
rder, we have 8h, 23m. for all, and the seconds run, 39. 14; 
43.00 ; 10.00 ; 46.00 ; 41.33 42.84; 35.75; 36.45. My time 
represents a motion equal to about half a second of arc, a quantity 
Smal as invisible unless under the most favourable con- 
ditions of atmosphere and telescope. Mr. Conder’s ge pea 
made under these favourable conditions, and he has great 
confidence in its accuracy ; in this he is borne out by Mr. Brooks ; 
if we bear in mind that the effect of unfavourable conditions 
not to make the observer too soon but too late, it seems 
probable = the others are all a little too late. It is perhaps 
orth m ning, to show the imperfection of the planetary 
Sh et cong the predicted time for this first internal contact is 
a Pa 
m. 59s., that is, 36.75 seconds before set earliest observer, 
and 41.65 before the mean of the seven observ 
At egress, internal contact, we have Th. 40m. for all, 
sud the seconds run, Russell, 26.65 ; Lenehan, 29.25 ; Dr. Wright, 
; Morris, 16.00 ; Hargrave, 10.40; Bladen, 44.34; Brooks, 
ee 43, Mr. Bladen says he waited before recording this time 
he was quite sure contact was made, and his observation 
= sbvoualy late. Now the effect of bad atmospheric conditions 
