i^t ' A VOYAGE TO BookVIIL 



grees, and to form with the verticle circle, an angle 

 of near thirty degrees. 



On the 7th, at eight minutes after feven in the 

 evening, on repeating our obfervations, we found its 

 altitude to be 11% 11', and its azimuth from the 

 norrh 72% From this fecond obfervation, 



which we confidered as more accurate than the 

 former, having made proper allowances for refradion, 

 ^ve concluded that, the right afcenfion of the comet 

 was 3320, 50', and that its northern declination was 

 20% 5^ Whence we inferred, that its trajedlory 

 was the fame with that obferved in 1681 by Cafilni, 

 and by Tycho Brahe in i5yy^ and that, in all pro- 

 bability it was the fame ; for though the periods do 

 not agree, it might have appeared twice in the firfl: 

 interval. After this we were hindered from profe- 

 cuting our obfervations by the cloudinefs of the 

 nights : and fome days afterwards we were alTured by 

 feveral, that they had feen it in the morning. 



As all the triangles on the north-fide from Pamba- 

 marca, to the place where Mr. Godin had made his 

 fecond aftronomical obfervations were not compleated, 

 and the inftrument conftru6ted for that purpofe kept 

 in readinefs, we made that our firft taflc ; Mr. Go- 

 , :din not having then gone through them all. After 

 iinilhing every thing here, we repaired on the 2 2d 

 of March to the oblervatory de Pueblo Viejo de Mi- 

 ra, where meeting with the fame difficulties from the 

 thicknefs of the atmofphere, as we had before expe- 

 rienced during the whole courfe of our operations, 

 we were obliged to continue there till the 22d of 

 May, when being fatisfied with the accuracy of the 

 obfervations m.ade during this long interval, we re- 

 turned to Quito, with the pleafing expedlation, that 

 our perfeverance again ft the conftant difficulties we 

 met with from the clouds was at laft come to a period ; 

 and that v/e fliould now reft from the toils and hard- 

 fbips of living on frozen defarcs; a repofe the more 



pleafmgjj 



