[ 364 ] 
the obfervations in the firft and Iaft half of the 
moon, or on the eaflern and weflern Tides of the 
mendian; for it is manifeft the errors would be of 
contrary tendency in tbefe different cafes. 
. ma y ^ erve the more to recommend the prac- 
tice of thefe obfervations to affronomers, I think it 
proper to mention, that I feldom failed of finding 
fome proper ffar or ffars near the moon, of fuffi- 
cient brightnefs, to compare her with, even when 
there were none fuch marked down in any catalogue, 
or any chaits: the number of zodiacal ffars proper 
foi comparing the moon and planets with in a te- 
lefcope, and not inferted in any printed catalogue, 
ieeming much to exceed the number of thofe marked 
down. 
I have but one more remark to add on this fub- 
jedt, that, as it is neceflary to know nearly the appa- 
lent difference of declination of the moon’s centre, and 
the ffars obferved, in order to corre& the obfervations 
for the deviation of the wires, and the moon’s change 
of declination, fo this may moff readily and conve- 
niently be done by fome oblique wires fixed in the 
focus of the eye-glafs of the telefcope, as I had in 
that I ufed at Barbadoes. Not having fuch a contri- 
vance adapted to the telefcope I ufed at St. Helena, 
I always effimated by my eye how many minutes 
each lfar, and alfo the moon’s centre, paffed north 
or fouth of the dire&ing wire, which I had an 
eafy method of doing, by comparing their di- 
flance from the dire&ing wire, with the interval be- 
tween the directing wire, and one of the two wires 
if retched parallel to it, at the exad diffance of 10 
minutes on each fide. In this manner the numbers 
fet 
