of the earth. One of the most favorable and important regions of
observation was Lapland, and the King of Denmark, to whom that
country then belonged, interested himself in getting a party sent
thither. After a careful survey of the field he selected Father
Hell, Chief of the Observatory at Vienna, and well known as editor
and publisher of an annual ephemeris, in which the movements and
aspects of the heavenly bodies were predicted. The astronomer
accepted the mission and undertook what was at that time a rather
hazardous voyage. His station was at Vardo in the region of the
North Cape. What made it most advantageous for the purpose was its
being situated several degrees within the Arctic Circle, so that
on the date of the transit the sun did not set. The transit began
when the sun was still two or three hours from his midnight goal,
and it ended nearly an equal time afterwards. The party consisted
of Hell himself, his friend and associate, Father Sajnovics, one
Dominus Borgrewing, of whom history, so far as I know, says
nothing more, and an humble individual who in the record receives
no other designation than "Familias." This implies, we may
suppose, that he pitched the tent and made the coffee. If he did
nothing but this we might pass him over in silence. But we learn
that on the day of the transit he stood at the clock and counted
the all-important seconds while the observations were going on.

The party was favored by cloudless weather, and made the required
observations with entire success. They returned to Copenhagen, and
there Father Hell remained to edit and publish his work.
Astronomers were naturally anxious to get the results, and showed
some impatience when it became known that Hell refused to announce
them until they were all reduced and printed in proper form under
the auspices of his royal patron. While waiting, the story got