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We arrived at St. John’s Newfoundland the 22d 
of May, where we met with a very kind reception, 
and all the afiiftance we could defire. As this town 
is bounded with high mountains toward the fun-rifing, 
10 that no houfe in it would anfvver our end, we 
encamped on an eminence at fome diftance, from 
whence we could fee the Sun prefently after his rifing. 
Hither we conveyed our inftruments, and fecured 
the clock to a pillar fet in the ground under a tent. 
Near this tent, and within call of the clock, we 
fixed two other pillars firmly in the ground ; one, 
to mount the refra&ing telelcope on ; the other, 
which was above 8 feet high, for a fiyle or gnomon, 
having at top a plate of lead with a little hole for 
tran fmitting the Sun’s rays ; and we laid an horizon- 
tal platform to receive thofe rays. The platform we 
kept covered, to defend it from the Sun and wea- 
ther : and examined its pofition every time we made 
ufe of it, by a very long level. On this we careful- 
ly drew a meridian line, by correfpondent altitudes 
of the Sun, taken both by the refledtor and by the 
Sun s image on the platform. Thefe operations we 
repeated every fair day, and feveral times in a day. 
It would be tedious, as well as needlefs, to give a 
detail of them : ’tis fufficient that we adjufted the 
clock with as much exa&nefs as we could have done 
at home. 
Thus prepared, we waited for the critical hour, 
which proved favourable to our wifhes. The morn- 
ing was ferene and calm. The Sun rofe behind a 
cloud that lay along the horizon, but foon got above 
it ; and at 4 h i 8 ' we had the pleafure of feeing Ve- 
nus on the Sun j though dimly indeed at firfl. But 
i the 
