as favourable to our purposes as we could wish.
Not a cloud to be seen the whole day and the air was perfectly clear, so
that we had every advantage we could desire in observing the whole
passage of the Planet Venus over the Sun's Disk. We very distinctly saw
the atmosphere or Dusky Shade round the body of the planet, which very
much disturbed the time of contact, particularly the two internal ones.
Dr. Solander observed as well as Mr. Green and myself, and we differ'd
from one another in observing the times of contact much more than could
be expected. Mr. Green's telescope and mine were of the same magnifying
power, but that of the Doctor was greater than ours. It was nearly calm
the whole day, and the thermometer exposed to the sun about the middle of
the day rose to a degree of heat we have not before met with."

In the report published in the Philosophical Transactions he also refers
to the heat:

"Every wished-for favourable circumstance attended the whole of the day,
without one single impediment excepting the heat, which was intolerable;
the thermometer which hung by the clock and was exposed to the sun, as we
were, was one time as high as 119 degrees."

This report is accompanied by diagrams illustrating the different
contacts and the effects of the penumbra, which Cook believed was better
seen by Solander than by himself or Green. It was estimated at about
seven-eighths of the diameter of the planet, and was visible to Cook
throughout the whole Transit.

The times taken by Green were:

The first external contact: 9 hours 25 minutes 42 seconds A.M.
The first internal contact: 9 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds A.M.
The second internal contact: 3 hours 14 minutes 8 seconds P.M.
The second external contact: 3 hours 22 minutes 10 seconds P.M.

The other two parties were equally successful, and at times Banks was
able to employ himself in trading with the natives, with whom he soon got
on friendly terms; in fact, he had to decline further purchases as he had
as much as they could take away with them. He was also successful in his
botanical enquiries, obtaining several plants he had not seen in
Otaheite.

Whilst the observations were being taken some of the crew broke into the
store and stole a quantity of the large nails that were used as a medium
of trade with the islanders. One man was found with seven in his
possession, and after careful enquiry was sentenced to two dozen lashes,
which seems to have been the s