[ 509 ] 
the aftronomical obfervations on this fide of the hill. T 
firll: put the fe£k)r, nearly in the meridian, by means of 
the variation compafs; but, thro’ the badnefs of the 
weather, which was almofl continually cloudy or miflv, 1 
could not before the middle of July get a fufhcient num- 
ber of obfervations with the aftronomical quadrant, to 
know the ftate of the clock, in order to dravr a meridian 
line on the floor of the obfervatory, for fetting the fedlor 
truly in the plane of the meridian. The firft obfervations 
w^hich I made with the fedtor, after it was put truly in 
the meridian, were on the 20th of July. Between this 
time and the end of the month, I obferved the zenith* 
diftances of 34 ftars, fome to the North and fome to the 
South of the zenith; and many of them feveral times 
over, having taken 76 obfervations in all, with the plane 
of the fedlor turned to the Eaft. On the firfl of Augufl:, . 
I turned the plane of the inftrument about, to face the 
Weft, and fet it in the meridian again, by means of the 
meridian line drawn on the floor the 26th of July, and 
fecured by picquets driven into the ground ; and between 
that and the 1 5 th of the fame month, I obferved 39 ftars 
including moft of thofe taken in the former pofltion of 
the inftrument, and took 93 obfervations in all.. 
And here let me take notice of a me>thod which I felB 
upon of verifying the pofltion of the fedlor, with refpedt 
to the plane of the meridian, which, had I thought of it 
at firft, would have faved me much trouble; and there- 
fore I will now mention it, as it may be ufefuhto future 
obfervers. It conflfts in obferving the tranflts of two 
ftarsj.. 
