| Description | Present at the meeting; the President in the chair; the Earl of Morton; Lord Charles Cavendish; Mr Burrow; Mr Fauquier; Mr Davall; Mr Mead; Mr Sotheby; Mr Clark; Dr BRadley; Dr Heberden; Dr Nesbitt; Mr Collinson; Dr Birch and Dr Morton, Secretaries
Minutes of the last Council were read, and bills of Mr Hauksbee and Mr Richardson ordered to be paid.
' Mr Burrow reported the result of his Enquiries from the Directors of the East India Company, relative to the passage of persons on the part of the Society, to divers Factories in the East Indies, to observe the Transit of Venus, the accommodation that might be expected there; and the return home, according to the Stated Voyages of thr Companies Ships. [Transcript of report as appendix to the minutes]
By these it appears, that there is no doubt of the Society's Observers arriving in due time at Saint Helena; that the Company will do every thing in their power to accommodate the observers there; and that the Return home will take up about three months; so that the whole Voyage may be performed within Eight or Nine Months; or may be regulated by the abode of the observers there.
Futher, with regard to other parts of the East Indies there is no probablility that observers could now be sent by the Ships of the Company, to arrive in due time at Bencoulen [Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia]; nor yet at Batavia [colonial name of the capital of the Dutch East Indies, now Jakarta, Indonesia]; though this latter perhaps might be obtained in Dutch Bottoms, by the Interest of Mr Amyand. But as to Madras [Chennai], there is a probability, though not a Certainty of a conveyance in due time, by the Company's Ships.
In General, the India Company will do every thing in their power to facilitate this affair in any part of their Settlements; and have already Sent, at the Sollicitation of Some Members of the University of Cambridge, Instructions to all their presidencies relative thereto. A Copy of which was delivered to Mr Burrow [transcript of Instructions in appendix to the minutes] At the same time the Company apprehend, that there is but one Set of Instruments in all India, viz at Madras [Chennai], being those belonging to the late Mr Robins; and but one person, viz Mr Call a pupil of the same Mr Robins, who is qualified to use them; and who had already received the Company's Instructions therein. '
Thanks were ordered for the Company and Mr Burrow
' Dr Bradley having reported, that there are no Instruments to be hired for this occasion, the President delivered in from the Reverend Mr Maskelyne FRS a particular estimate of Such Instruments as it will be necessary to purchase. [Transcript of the estimate in appendix to these minutes] The whole of which, including an additional Instrument for observing the annual parallax of the Star Sirius, amounts to £285.00
It appearing necessary to Send two persons for the observation at Saint Helena only, the Council proceeded to form particular Estimates of the Expenses thereof. [Listed in detail] Which sum being judged to be greater than was convenient for the Society to expend, a Memorial was drawn up, to be presented to the Lords of the Treasury [Transcript listed] '
Council adjourned to the next day (4 July 1760) to complete the Memorial, which was sealed with the Society's Seal, signed by the President and countersigned by the Members present.
Appendix
1. Result of Inquires concerning Bencoulen [Bengkulu], Batavia [Jakarta, Indonesia], and Saint Helena, relative to the taking observations in those places, of the Transit of Venus on 6 June 1761. Received from Governor Lennox (who resided there 16 or 17 years) - 6 pages
2. Directions for observing the Transit of Venus over the Sun 6 June 1761 - 3 pages
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