[ i6 ° ] 
tube fo, as to find her out a little before her ingrefs, 
and to manage the inftrument fo, as alfo to have 
light of her at the inftant of her egrefs. And know- 
ing, that Mr. Short is never unprovided with one or 
more inftruments exceedingly well adapted to this 
and other purpofes, the fame that he has defcribed in 
Pkil. Tranf. N° 493 ; which, for its eafy removal 
from place to place, may be confider’d as a fort of 
portable obfervatory, I intimated my intention to him 
the evening before j who was fo kind as to fet up 
two of the faid inftruments, which I found rectified, 
and ready for obfervation, when I vifited him the 
next morning. 
One of thefe, placed near his clock, he intended 
for his own ufe, and the other was for me. I had 
alfo with me a watch of Mr. Graham’s make, 
which fhewed feconds, and was fet exadtly to the 
dock. 
A little after 10 Mr. Short waited upon His Grace 
the Duke of Queensbury, and Mr. Pringle, to the 
apartment where I was ; who, after taking a look at 
Venus, which I had then brought into the telefcope, 
feated themfelves near me, and I applied myfelf at- 
tentively to the obfervation. 
The air was of itfelf exceedingly clear ; but the 
wind, being in the north-eaft quarter, brought fuch 
drifts of fmoak, as much impaired the difiindnefs 
of Venus, which however look’d round. Several 
minutes before I expe&ed it, the figure of the planet 
was manifeftly alter’d ; upon which I called out to 
Mr. Short to haften to his inftrument, which he did, 
but was too late. I never ftirred my eye from mine, 
before the total ingrefs, at io h 39' 30'' by the watch, 
which 
