ernal
ones; and we differed from each other in our accounts of the times of
the contacts much more than might have been expected. According to Mr
Green,

Hours. Min. Sec.

The first external contact, or first
appearance of Venus on the Sun, was 9 25 42 |
|Morning
The first internal contact, or total |
emersion, was 9 44 4 |

The second internal contact, or
beginning of the emersion, 3 14 8 |
|Afternoon
The second external contact, or |
total emersion, 3 32 10 |

The latitude of the observatory was found to be 17 deg. 29' 15"; and the
longitude 149 deg. 32' 30" W. of Greenwich. A more particular account will
appear by the tables, for which the reader is referred to the
Transactions of the Royal Society; vol. lxi. part 2. p. 397 et seq.
where they are illustrated by a cut.

But if we had reason to congratulate ourselves upon the success of our
observation; we had scarce less cause to regret the diligence with which
that time had been improved by some of our people to another purpose.
While the attention of the officers was engrossed by the transit of
Venus, some of the ship's company broke into one of the store-rooms, and
stole a quantity of spike-nails, amounting to no less than one hundred
weight: This was a matter of public and serious concern; for these
nails, if circulated by the people among the Indians, would do us
irreparable injury, by reducing the value of iron, our staple commodity.
One of the thieves was detected, but only seven nails were found in his
custody. He was punished with two dozen lashes, but would impeach none
of his accomplices.

SECTION XIII.

_The Ceremonies of an Indian Funeral particularly described: General
Observations on the Subject: A Character found among the Indians to
which the Ancients paid great veneration: A Robbery at the Fort, and its
Consequences; with a Specimen of Indian Cookery, and various Incidents._

On the 5th, we kept his majesty's birth-day; for though it is the 4th,
we were unwilling to celebrate it during the absence of the two parties
who had been sent out to observe the transit. We had several of the
Indian chiefs at our entertainment, who drank his maje