C 3®9 ] 
vided, and Mr. Archibald M'CIean, both men of 
abilities, and accuftomed to aftronomical oblervations, 
were placed in one window of the obfervatory, to 
count the clock, and take the fignals from" Mr. 
Lukens. T wo others, who live in Mr. Rittenhoufe’s 
family, and have been trained by him to fervices of 
this kind, ftood in another window, within the ob- 
fervatory, to count the time, and take his fignals. I 
was within hearing of the beats of the clock, and 
was to count and fet down my own time. 
Thefe preliminaries thus fettled, at two o’clock, 
each of us applied to our refpedtive telefcopes ; but 
as there was a great concourfe of many of the prin- 
cipal inhabitants of the county, we were apprehcnfive, 
that our fcheme for filence and order might be in- 
terrupted by the impatience and curiofity natural on 
fuch occafions. We therefore informed the gentle- 
men, who had honoured us with their company, that 
the accuracy and fuccefs of our obfervations would 
depend on our not being diflu rbed with the lead: 
liOife, till the contacts were over. And to do the 
company juftice, during the 12 minutes that enfued 
before the firfl contact, there could not have been a 
more folemn paufe of expedtation and filence, if each 
individual had flood ready to receive the fentence that 
was to give him life or death. So regular and quiet 
was the whole, that, far from hearing a word fpoken, 
I did not even hear the feet of the four counters, who 
had pafTed behind me from the windows to the clock j 
and 1 was furprized, when I rofe, up and turned to 
the clock, to find them all there before me, counting 
up their feconds to an even number y as I imagined, 
from 
