difcoverable from a minute obfervation, ftill re- 
mained unaccountable ; and we often find them at a 
lofs, in framing any hypothefis, which could fully 
fatisfy the mind concerning them. In procefs of 
time, aftronomers began to withdraw their attention 
from a fubjed, which remained fo dark and per- 
plexing, and, for many years, all refearches of this 
fort have been, in a great meafure, laid afide. 
Chance, or a happy concurrence of circum- 
ftances, hath fometimes effected more, than could 
have been expeded from the moft promifing mea- 
fures: a remark which, it is hoped, will, in fome 
degree, be found juftified in the fequel of this 
paper. The obfervations upon the folar fpots, 
which I now proceed to relate, appear to be totally 
different from any hitherto to be found, and fuch 
as fee m to open a new and curious field of fpecu- 
dation into the whole of this fubjed. 
Aftronomers will remember, that a fpot of an 
extraordinary fize appeared upon the fun, in the 
month of November 1769. The firft notice, I 
Tad of it, was by a letter from a friend at London, 
but the weather continued dark and cloudy for 
fome days after ; at length, on the 2 2d day, I had 
.a view of the fun through an excellent Gregorian 
‘.telefcope, of 26 inch focus, which magnified 112 
itimes. I then beheld the fpot, which at that time 
was not far from the fun’s weftern limb, and below 
ins equatorial diameter. The atmofphere being 
now very clear., and free from all tremor and un- 
dulation, it was pleafant to fee the nucleus of the 
ipot, and the fhady zone or umbra which fur- 
jrounded it, To very diftind. It being afternoon 
when 
