[ 54 ° ] 
LXXXV1I. An Account of Mr. Mafon’x 
Paper , concerning the Going of Mr. Elli- 
cott 's Clock , at St. Helena ; by James 
Short, M. A. F. R. S. 
Read May 13, TN this paper, Mr. Mafon tells us, that, 
1702 ' jp in order to determine the regularity of 
the motion of Mr. Ellicott’s clock, he refolved to 
make obfervations of the occultations of Ears, by a 
ridge of rocks, the altitude of which was about 30' 
above the place of observation, and at about a quarter 
of a mile’s diftance ; but that this method was foon 
improved, by the Rev Mr. Mafkelyne, who propofed 
to make ufe of the equal altitude inftrument tor that 
purpofe, by obferving the vanishing of the Ears out 
of the field of the telefcope. By obfervations of this 
fort, from the 31E of O&ober to the 19th of No- 
vember 176 !■, he found, that the clock went veiy 
regularly, not varying fo much as a fecond in that 
time 3 but from the 19th of November to the 3d of 
December, he found, that the clock had gone flow, 
or loE two feconds of time ; and this alteration he 
imputes to the wedges, behind the clock, having got 
loofe, Shrunk, as he fuppofes, by the drynefs of the 
place ; he therefore fecured the wedges, and found, 
that, from the 3d of December to the 2 2d of De- 
cember, the clock did not vary in its motion above 
one fecond of time. On the 5th of Januaiy, the 
clock was Eopped ; and it appears, that the clock did 
not vary 1b much as one lecond of time from the 9th 
of January to the 22d of January. The thermometer 
J was 
