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III. A Letter fr om Dr, Franklyn, F, R. 
to the AJironomer Royal ; containmg an 
Obfervation of the Fran fit of Mercury over 
the Sun, November (^th 1769 : By John 
Winthrop, Lfq\ F. R, S, Hollifian Pro-- 
feffor of Mathematics and- Natural Philo^ 
fophy at Cambridge, New England. 
Dear Sir, 
Craven-ftreet, Feb. 12, 1770. 
HAVE juft received a letter from 
Mr. Winthrop, dated Dec. 7, contain* 
ing the following account, viz, 
“ On Thurfday the 9th of November, I had an 
“ opportunity of obferving a tranfit of Mercury. I 
“ had carefully adjufted my clock to the apparent 
“ time, by correfpondent altitudes of the Sun; taken 
“ with the quadrant for feveral days before, and with 
‘‘ the fame refledfing telefcope as I ufed for the tranfit 
“ of Venus I firft perceived the little planet 
“ making an imprefiion on the Sun’s limb at 2^ 52' 
; and he appeared wholly within at 53' 58" 
apparent time. The fun fet before the planet 
** reached the middle of his courfe; and for a con- 1 
See Phil, Tranfaft. Vol. LIX. p. 352. 
H 2 p fiderable 
Read Jan. 10, 
1771, 
