4,36 Dr. Maskelynes Remarks on the Accounts 
extraordinary in the moon. Upon this I took occasion, on 
the 28th of April, to question the man about it, taking care 
at the same time to direct my inquiries so as to give him no 
hint of what had been seen by Mr. Wilkins. I immediately 
minuted down the information he gave me, which was as fol- 
lows. “ Some time ago, about six in the evening, the moon 
“ not being a quarter old, he saw a light like a star, and as 
« large as a middle sized star, but not so bright, in the dark 
“ part of the moon. He continued looking at it for a minute 
« or more, during which time it kept the same light, and he 
“ then lost sight of it by going into the house. He said he 
« thought it was not the present moon, viz. that which is now 
« almost gone, and that it was not above seven weeks ago. 
“ He was not, however, certain whether it was three weeks or 
« seven weeks ago.” I made a drawing of the moon before 
him, and desired him to direct me about forming the size of 
the crescent, and laying down the place of the star-like ap- 
pearance in the dark part of the moon, which sketch I have 
subjoined to this account. (See Tab. XXI. fig. 3 ) 
Lady Booth thought the time of the night, when he saw 
this appearance, was later, and rather seven o clock, for he 
mentioned it to her immediately after. Not doubting but 
this phenomenon, seen by Thomas Stretton, in St. John s 
Square, was the same as was seen by Mr. Wilkins at Nor- 
wich, and on the same night, I wished to ascertain the time 
more nearly by some local circumstances, depending on the 
place from which the phenomenon was seen, and the tops of 
the houses or chimnies over which it appeared. Accordingly, 
on the 21st of May, I desired Thomas Stretton to stand in 
the same place he did when he saw the appearance, and point 
