[ 31 + ] 
on both fides, where there was any pofTibility of 
“ the contact to happen, 
“ It being now within about half a minute of the time 
** which Mr. Rittenhoufe had calculated for the firft 
** contact, I called to the four counters at the win- 
dows, to be very attentive to thofe who were to give 
the lignals from the telefcopes without doors ; and 
turning my eye to that part of the limb where the 
“ contadl was expeded, I had been, for feveral fe- 
conds, viewing it ftedfaftly, when, all at once, 1 faw 
“ fomething flrike into it like a watry pointed flia- 
“ dow, appearing to give a tremulous motion to that 
“ part of the Sun’s limb, although the telcfcope 
“ flood quite firm, and not the lead difiurbance or 
undulation was perceptible in any other part of 
“ the limb. 
“ .The idea I had formed of the contad was — 
“ that Venus would indantaneoufly make a well- 
“ defined black and finall dent or impreffion on the 
** Sun. But this appearance was fo different, the 
“ didurbance on the San’s limb fo undulatory, 
“ pointed, ill-defined, wateridi, and occupying a 
“ larger portion of the limb than I expeded, that I 
was held in a fufpence of five or fix feconds, to 
“ examine whether it might not be fome fmall fkirt 
“ of a watery flying cloud. But perceiving this 
fhadow, or whatever elfe it was, to prefs dill for- 
** ward on the limb, with the fame tremulous, 
“ pointed appearance (the longed points towards its 
‘‘ middle^, I began to count the clock for either 
“ fifteen or fixteen feconds, when a well defined 
“ black dent, occupying a lefs fpace on the Sun’s 
limb, became plainly vifible. I then quitted the 
** telefcope. 
