The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-09-24

ct the Present comet lies between the earth
and the Sun-Sir I. Nevicn SAYS, IN -.
system of the world - All the conse
which move in direct course. accordin,
to the order OF the signs, about the end o.
rily slow, If he earth is between the M ans
the sun and more than ordinarily swift, ii
the earth is approaching TO helioceniric
opposition with them. Whereas, on the o.
Their hand, those which move against the or
der ct the signs, towards the end of their
appearance. appear swifter than they ough
to be, if the earth is between them and the
sun; and slower. and perhaps retrogade,
II the earth is in the other side of its orbit"
Fhe present comet moves according To the
order of the signs, and as its velocity is up
on the increase, il not only approaches the
earth, but is probably nearer the sun than
the earth,
THE ECLIPSE.
The Solar Eclipse. which happened on
the 18th, appears to have attracted general
attention, on account of the annular ring
which 1t exhibited. BY means of Had
ley's SeXtant, I observed the altitude of
the suns centre at the beginning of the e
Clipsc, when central. and at the end, from
which deduced the times. as follow:
prs n. M
Commencement of,the eclipse. 0 d p. M
Altitude OF suns centre, $40 ST.
Il. M. 8. =
Sun centrally eclipsed. "a p, III i.
Altitude of suns centre 40 30'
End Of the eclipse, 8 Sc p. NJ.
Altitude of suns centre, :. ego IS
Solar eclipscs are frequently used for as
certaining the longitude of places. although
such calculations are extremely tedious. on
account of finding correctly the moons
parallax in longitude and latitude.
In the beginning Of 1905, l recollect a lu-
mar eclipse was observed, by Bishop Madi-
SON at Williamsburg, ano by myself in this
place. when the meridian OF Richmond
was by Mr.. Madis,n, 76o ~. west of Lon
don; and by my observations 76o 81. /
have had several opportunities since, of ma
king similar observations, and found them
| always nearly to agree But the observa-
, tons from the last eclipse will make the
| longitude Of Richmond considerably more !;
| so much so, that i would have doubted of
| the accuracy of my attitudes and times.
! did they not nearly correspond with those
at Washington and Baltimore, after making
an allowance for the difference of longitude
Y III thOSS Pi1COS. haSC uot at pre-
sent to investigate particularly, the cause
of this diffe renee, whether proceeding from
| inaccuracy in former observations or from the
present. but shalt. in the course of next
week. 30
| : /; JOHN WOOD.
| ". B. AS the Comets rising in the morn
| ing, and setting Al night, has occasioned an
idea OF two comets, II may be proper TO
states for those not acquainted with celesti
al phenomena, that Inc diurnal motion OF
the comet round the north pole. is only an
! apparent motion. and not real mott on
caused by the earth revolving on its axis,
aad is similar TO the apparent motion of the
| fixed stars and planets, all of which seem
| to revolve round the North Pole, describing
circles of different magnitudes, according &c
| their distances from the Pole.
GLEAJVI.NGS
| The Mayor OF N. York has interdicted
all com munisa'ion between that City and
| the City of Amboy. in N. Jersey, in,which
| a pestilential or infectious disease prevails
fourteen days must elapse before any per
son who has been in A. shall visit N "
A Captain. arrived in Charleston. reports,
that abou. the 9TH August he met with a
| British ship OF war convoying-a feet of ;e
| SAL OF Indiamen. bound from China to En-
! YianQ Will IL Uiliii ms. OF collars on BOARD.
The "silver tide" which once set out to
the E. Indies, seems now to be eb6ing
6aek.-Again-a London paper Of July 90.
says, that so tons of silver, lately brougu;
from Lima, had been deposited in the bank.
IA Montreal paper, of the I'd instant.
states, that" Mr.. Morier. late British
| Charge d'Afaires in the U. s" had ARR
we'd in that City. The 'tU. States Ga
zette" adds, that Mr.. NJ is to embark
from Canada for Z: gand-A sloop has
arrived at n. Y. with Bermuda papers of
the 4th inst. " His Majesty's" ship Spar
tan and Ruby had arrived there from En-
igiand--in the former. was Sir James
tCockburf, the new Governor and Com
mander in Chief. Not word yet of Sir
u. Yorkc !~--Ihe brig Nancy was brought
to, on the 9th. by the British frig ate, Olym
lpus, by the firing Of gun witt shot, which
| went over her-her papers and seamen's
projections were very strictly examined by
the boarding officer--on his departure
he said, "YOu, Americans, are very saucy
but there is squadron Of 20 frigates cont
ing on your coast to fut. you all TO rights
The o. was from the Bermudas bound for
Halifax. The ship Minerva was boarded
by the British trigate Belvidere between
IN. Y and Charlie ston the boarding off
Ger made particular enquiry whether Com.
Rodgers was 1t sea "A Kentucky paper
tof.the 31st ult. asserts, that Gov Harrison
was at Louisville, (K.) raising some com
lpanies---he had said that Col. Davies woulG