MDMD: The Next Transit of Venus

[Kaminker/Wood]

I have finally begun M&D for real (I joined the list when the group read
was around page 500 or so and then read about 125 pages and stopped); now I
have the time for a serious, involved read. So I am going back through the
archives at the same time and am finding it a wonderful experience,
rereading passages after getting some info from the list.

I also recently took Eli Maor's book "June 8, 2004, Venus in Transit"
(Princeton Uni. Press), a slim volume (175 pages) detailing each transit,
as well as the upcoming one in 2004.

Does anyone know of a good book/website that would explain to a lay person
exactly how Mason & Dixon did what they did as they marked the Line. I read
about half the novel and now am going back with the archives, so I'm kind
of sure it is not fully explained in the novel.  How did they set up, how
often, what did they measure and for how long before moving on?

Also got a copy of "The Mason and Dixon Line: Story for a Bicentenary
1763-1963," a 115-page booklet published by Pennsylvania's Department of
Internal Affairs. It includes a lot of pages from Mason's journal and
photos along the way (taken much later of course).  What struck me were
pictures of John Harland's house.  Was this pointed out during the Read?
He was a real person.

Allan Wood