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well as I can remember : after which the regularity 
of Venus’s circular figure was difturbed towards the 
place where the internal contact fhould happen, by 
the addition of a protuberance, dark like Venus, and 
proje&ing outwards, which occupied a fpace upon 
the Sun’s circumference, which bore a confiderable 
proportion to the diameter of Venus. Fifty-two fe- 
conds before the thread of light was formed, Venus’s 
regular circumference, fuppofed to be continued as it 
would have been without the protuberance, feemed 
to be in contaft with the Sun’s circumference fup- 
pofed alfo completed. Accordingly, from this time, 
Venus’s regular circumference, fuppofed defined in 
the manner juft defcribed, appeared wholly within 
the Sun’s circumference ; and it feemed, therefore, 
wonderful that the thread of light fhould be fo long 
before it appeared, the protuberance appearing in its 
ftead. 
At length, when a confiderable part of the Sun’s 
circumference, equal to -p 1 or 1 th of the diameter of 
Venus, remained ftill obfcured by the protuberance, 
a fine ftream of light flowed gently round it from 
each fide, and completed the fame in the fpace of 
three feconds of time, from y h 29 ' 20" to y h 29' 23" 
apparent time ; and Venus appeared wholly within 
the Sun’s lucid circumference ; but the protuberance, 
tho’ diminifhed, was not taken away till about 20" 
more, when, after being gradually reduced, it dis- 
appeared , and Venus’s circular figure was reftored. 
An ingenious gentleman of my acquaintance hav- 
ing defired me to examine if there was any pro- 
tuberance of the Sun’s circumference about the point 
of the internal contact, as he fuppofed fuch an ap- 
6 pearance 
