Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Part 8

2. The inefficiency of his first a.s.sistant.

3. The oppression of business connected with chronometers.

"The last of these, as I have reason to think, operated very far.

Business of this nature which (necessarily) is _daily_ and _peremptory_ will always prevail over that which is _general_ and _confidential_. I will not trouble you with an account of the various ways in which the chronometer business teazed the Astronomer Royal (several alterations having been made at my representation), but shall merely remark that much of the business had no connection whatever with astronomy.

"I beg to submit these remarks to your perusal, requesting you to point out to me _what part_ of them should be laid before any of the King's Ministers, _at what time, in what shape_, and to whom addressed. I am quite sure that Mrs Pond's claims require nothing to ensure favourable consideration but the impression of such a feeling of Mr Pond's astronomical merits as must be entertained by any reasonable astronomer; and I am most anxious to a.s.sist in conveying this impression.

"Of private history: I went to Suffolk for a week on Mar. 25th. On Sept. 19th my son Wilfrid (my fourth child) was born. In October I made an excursion for a week round the coast of Kent. In November I went to my brother's house at Keysoe in Bedfords.h.i.+re: I was much exposed to cold on the return-journey, which probably aggravated the illness that soon followed. From Nov. 27th I was ill; made the last journal entry of the year on Dec. 6th; the next was on Jan. 14th, 1837. I find that in this year I had introduced Arthur Biddell to the t.i.the Commutation Office, where he was soon favourably received, and from which connection he obtained very profitable employment as a valuer."

1837

"My connection with Cambridge Observatory was not yet finished. I had determined that I would not leave a figure to be computed by my successor. In October I had (at my private expense) set Mr Glaisher to work on reducing the observations of Sun, Moon, and Planets made in 1833, 1834, 1835; and subsequently had the calculations examined by Mr Hartnup. This employed me at times through 1837. I state here, once for all, that every calculation or other work in reference to the Cambridge Observatory, in this and subsequent years, was done at my private expense. The work of the Northumberland Telescope was going on through the year: from Nov. 24th to 29th I was at Cambridge on these works.

"An object-gla.s.s of 6-3/4 inches aperture (a most unusual size at this time, when it was difficult to find a 4-inch or 5-inch gla.s.s) had been presented to the Greenwich Observatory by my friend Mr Sheepshanks, and on Mar. 29th I received from the Admiralty authority for mounting it equatoreally in the empty South Dome, which had been intended for a copy of the Palermo Circle.--In the month of July the Admiralty wished for my political a.s.sistance in a Greenwich election, but I refused to give any.--On Jan. 3rd I gave notice to the Admiralty that I had finished the computations of Groombridge's Catalogue, and was ready to print. The printing was authorized and proceeded (the introduction was finished on Nov. 22nd), but the book was not quite ready till the beginning of 1838.--In connection with the Cavendish experiment: on June 10th I wrote to Spring Rice (Chancellor of the Exchequer) for _500_, which was soon granted: and from this time there is a great deal of correspondence (mainly with Mr Baily) upon the details of the experiment and the theory of the calculation.--On July 24th I saw the descent of the parachute by which Mr c.o.c.king was killed. I attended the coroner's inquest and gave evidence a few days later.

"The Planetary Reductions from 1750 to 1830 had been going on: the computers (Glaisher, Hartnup, and Thomas) worked in the Octagon Room, and considerable advance was made.--In consequence of the agitation of the proposal by Mr Lubbock to form empirical tables of the Moon, for which I proposed to subst.i.tute complete reduction of the observations of the Moon from 1750, the British a.s.sociation at York (Oct. 23rd, 1837) appointed a deputation (including myself) to place the matter before the Government. I wrote on the matter to Mr Wood (Lord Halifax) stating that it would be proper to raise the First a.s.sistant's salary, and to give me more indefinite power about employing computers. In all these things I received cordial a.s.sistance from Mr Wood. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Spring Rice) received us on Dec. 20th: statements were furnished by me, and the business was sanctioned immediately.--During this year I was very much engaged in correspondence with Lubbock and others on improvements of the Lunar Theory.

"In the operations of 1836 and 1837 a great quant.i.ty of papers had been acc.u.mulated. I had kept them in reasonably good order, tied up in bundles: but this method began to fail in convenience, as the number increased. The great lines of cla.s.sification were however now well understood. I believe it was in the latter part of the year 1837 that I finally settled on the principle of arranging papers in packets and subordinate packets, every paper being flat, by the use of four punched holes in every paper. I have never seen any principle of arrangement comparable to this. It has been adopted with the greatest ease by every a.s.sistant, and is used to the present time (1871) without alteration.

"On Jan. 3rd I was informed unofficially by Mr Wood (Admiralty Secretary) that the addition of the Magnetic Ground was sanctioned. On Feb. 16th Mr Rhodes (an officer of the Department of Woods and Works) came to put me formally in possession of the ground. Between Apr. 26th and May 13th the ground was enclosed, and my garden was completely protected from the public. The plan of the building was settled, and numerous experiments were made on various kinds of concrete: at last it was decided to build with wood.

"After a dinner given by Lord Burlington, Chancellor, the first meeting of the London University was held on Mar. 4th, and others followed. On Apr. 18th I handed to the Chancellor a written protest against a vote of a salary of _1000_ to the Registrar: which salary, in fact, the Government refused to sanction. Dissensions on the question of religious examination were already beginning, but I took little part in them.

"In 1833 Mr Henderson had resigned the superintendance of the Cape of Good Hope Observatory, and Mr Maclear was appointed. I recommended the same Official Instructions for him (they had included an allusion to La Caille's Arc of Meridian) with an addition on the probability of Trigonometrical Survey, on Aug. 8th, 1837. On Feb. 24th, 1837, I wrote to Beaufort suggesting that Bradley's Sector should be used for verifying the astronomical determinations, and subsequently received the approval of the Admiralty. In June Sir J. Herschel and I had an interview with Mr Wood on the Cape equipment generally. The Sector was erected with its new mounting, careful drawings were made of every part, instructions were prepared for its use, and on Aug. 10th it was sent to Woolwich Dockyard and s.h.i.+pped for the Cape.

"Of private history: On Aug. 23rd I started with my wife for an excursion in South Wales, &c. On Sept. 9th I gave a lecture in the Town Hall of Neath. While at Swansea we received news of the death of my wife's father, the Rev. Richard Smith, and returned at once.--In this year Arthur Biddell bought the little Eye estate for me."

1838

"Cambridge Observatory:--On Dec. 29th, 1837, I had set Mr Glaisher to work in collecting the annual results for star-places from the Cambridge Observations, to form one catalogue: I examined the calculations and the deduced catalogue, and on Dec. 14, 1838, presented it to the Royal Astronomical Society, under the t.i.tle of 'The First Cambridge Catalogue.'--For the Northumberland telescope I was engaged with Simms about the clockwork from time to time up to Apr. 30th, and went to Cambridge about it. The instrument was brought to a useable state, but some small parts were still wanting.

"At Greenwich:--In April I drew up a little history of the Observatory for the Penny Cyclopaedia.--On June 30th the Lords of the Admiralty paid a short visit to the Observatory: on this occasion Mr Wood suggested a pa.s.sage connecting the Observatory with the dwelling-house, and I subsequently prepared sketches for it; it was made in the next year.--In the course of the year the Sheepshanks Equatoreal was mounted, and Encke's Comet was observed with it from Oct. 26th to Nov. 13th.--On Mar. 31st, &c. I reported to the Admiralty on the selection of chronometers for purchase, from a long list: this was an important beginning of a new system.--The Magnetic Observatory was built, in the form originally planned for it (a four-armed cross with equal arms, one axis being in the magnetic meridian) in the beginning of this year. (No alteration has since been made in form up to the present time, 1871, except that the north arm has been lengthened 8 feet a few years ago.) On May 21st a magnet was suspended for the first time, Mr Baily and Lieut. (afterwards Sir William) Denison being present.--Groombridge's Catalogue was finished, and on Mar. 3rd I arranged for sending out copies.--The Planetary Reductions were carried on vigorously. On May 31st, 1838, the Treasury a.s.sented to the undertaking of the Lunar Reductions and allotted _2,000_ for it: preparations were made, and in the autumn 7 computers were employed upon it. It will easily be seen that this undertaking added much to my labours and cares.--The geodetic affairs of the Cape of Good Hope began to be actively pressed, and in February Beaufort wrote to me in consequence of an application from Maclear, asking about a standard of length for Maclear (as foundation for a geodetic survey). I made enquiries, and on Mar. 13th wrote to Mr Wood, alluding also generally to the want of a National English standard after the destruction of the Houses of Parliament. On Apr. 24th the Admiralty sanctioned my procuring proper Standard Bars.--In connection with the Cavendish Experiment, I have an immense quant.i.ty of correspondence with Mr Baily, and all the mathematics were furnished by me: the experiment was not finished at the end of the year.--The Perturbations of Ura.n.u.s were now attracting attention. I had had some correspondence on this subject with Dr Hussey in 1834, and in 1837 with Eugene Bouvard. On Feb. 24th, of 1838, I wrote to Schumacher regarding the error in the tabular radius-vector of Ura.n.u.s, which my mode of reducing the observations enabled me to see.

"The National Standards of Length and Weight had been destroyed in the fire of the Houses of Parliament. On May 11th I received a letter from Mr Spring Rice, requesting me to act (as chairman) with a committee consisting of F. Baily, J.E. Drinkwater Bethune, Davies Gilbert, J.G.S. Lefevre, J.W. Lubbock, G. Peac.o.c.k, and R. Sheepshanks, to report on the steps now to be taken. I accepted the charge, and the first meeting was held at the Observatory on May 22nd; all subsequent meetings in London, usually in the apartments of the Royal Astronomical Society. I acted both as chairman and as working secretary. Our enquiries went into a very wide field, and I had much correspondence.

"On Jan. 4th Mr Wood wrote to me, mentioning that Capt. Johnson had made some observations on the magnetism of iron s.h.i.+ps, and asking whether they ought to be continued; a steamer being offered at _50_ per week. I applied to Beaufort for a copy of Johnson's Observations, and on Jan. 7th replied very fully, discouraging such observations; but recommending a train of observations expressly directed to theoretical points. On Feb. 17th I reported that I had examined the Deptford Basin, and found that it would do fairly well for experiments. On July 14th, 1838, Capt. Beaufort wrote to me that the Admiralty wished for experiments on the s.h.i.+p, the 'Rainbow,' then in the river, and enquired whether I would undertake them and what a.s.sistance I desired, as for instance that of Christie or Barlow. I replied that one person should undertake it, either Christie, Barlow, or myself, and that a basin was desirable. On July 16th and 17th I looked at the basins of Woolwich and Deptford, approving the latter. On July 21st the Admiralty gave me full powers. From July 23rd I was almost entirely employed on preparations. The course of operations is described in my printed Paper: the original maps, curves, and graphical projections, are in the bound MSS.: 'Correction of Compa.s.s in Iron s.h.i.+ps--"Rainbow,"' at the Greenwich Observatory. The angular disturbances were found on July 26th and 30th, requiring some further work on a raft, so that they were finally worked out on Aug. 11th. I struggled hard with the numbers, but should not have succeeded if it had not occurred to me to examine the horizontal magnetic intensities. This was done on Aug. 14th, and the explanation of the whole was suggested at once: graphical projections were made on Aug. 16th and 17th for comparison of my explanation with observations, and the business was complete. On Aug. 17th and 18th I measured the intensity of some magnets, to be used in the s.h.i.+p for correction. It is to be remarked that, besides the effect of polar magnetism, there was no doubt of the existence of an effect of induced magnetism requiring correction by other induced magnetism: and experiments for this were made in the Magnetic Observatory. All was ready for trial: and on Aug. 20th I carried my magnets and iron correctors to Deptford, mounted them in the proper places, tried the s.h.i.+p, and the compa.s.s, which had been disturbed 50 degrees to the right and 50 degrees to the left, was now sensibly correct. On Aug. 21st I reported this to the Admiralty, and on Aug. 24th I tried the s.h.i.+p to Gravesend. On Aug. 30th I had the loan of her for an expedition with a party of friends to Sheerness, and on Sept. 9th I accompanied her to Gravesend, on her first voyage to Antwerp.--On Oct. 5th application was made to me by the owner of the 'Ironsides' to correct her compa.s.ses. In consequence of this I went to Liverpool on Oct. 25th, and on this occasion made a very important improvement in the practical mode of performing the correction.--On Nov. 16th I reported to the Admiralty in considerable detail. On Dec. 4th I had an interview with Lord Minto (First Lord of the Admiralty) and Mr Wood. They refused to sanction any reward to me.--The following is a copy of the report of the Captain of the 'Rainbow' after her voyage to Antwerp: 'Having had the command of the Rainbow steamer the two voyages between London and Antwerp, I have the pleasure to inform you that I am perfectly satisfied as to the correctness of the compa.s.ses, and feel quite certain they will continue so. I took particular notice from land to land from our departure and found the bearings by compa.s.s to be exact.'"--The following extracts from letters to his wife refer to the "Ironsides": on Oct. 28th 1838 he writes, "I worked up the observations so much as to see that the compa.s.s disturbance is not so great as in the 'Rainbow' (35 instead of 50), but quite enough to make the vessel worthless; and that it is quite different in direction from that in the 'Rainbow'--so that if they had stolen one of the 'Rainbow' correctors and put it into this s.h.i.+p it would have been much worse than before." And on Nov. 1st he writes, "On Wednesday I again went to the s.h.i.+p and tried small alterations in the correctors: I am confident now that the thing is very near, but we were most abominably baffled by the sluggishness of the compa.s.s."

"The University of London:--On Jan. 6th I attended a sub-committee meeting on the minimum of acquirements for B.A. degree, and various meetings of the Senate. On July 14th I intimated to Mr Spring Rice my wish to resign. I had various correspondence, especially with Mr Lubbock, and on Dec. 13th I wrote to him on the necessity of stipends to Members of Senate. The dissensions on religious examination became very strong. I took a middle course, demanding examination in the languages and books, but absolutely refusing to claim any religious a.s.sent. I expressed this to Dr Jerrard, the princ.i.p.al representative on the religious side, by calling on him to subst.i.tute the words 'Recognition of Christian Literature' for 'Recognition of Christian Religion': I addressed a printed letter to Lord Burlington (Chancellor) and the Members of the Senate, on this subject.

"Of private history: In January I made a short excursion in Norfolk and Suffolk, and visited Prof. Sedgwick at Norwich. In April I paid a short visit to Mr Courtney at Sanderstead, with my wife. On June 14th my son Hubert was born. In September I went with my sister by Cambridge, &c., to Luddington, where I made much enquiry concerning my father and the family of Airy who had long been settled there. We then visited various places in Yorks.h.i.+re, and arrived at Brampton, near Chesterfield, where Mrs Smith, my wife's mother, now resided. And returned by Rugby. I had much correspondence with my brother and for him about private pupils and a better church living. I complained to the Bishop of Norwich about the mutilation of a celebrated monument in Playford Church by the inc.u.mbent and curate."

The following extracts are from letters to his wife relating to the above-mentioned journeys:

CLOSE, NORWICH.

_1838, Jan. 21_.

I do not know what degree of cold you may have had last night, but here it was (I believe) colder than before--thermometer close to the house at 3. I have not suffered at all. However I do not intend to go to Lowestoft.

BRAMPTON.

_1838, Sept. 30th_.

We began to think that we had seen enough of Scarborough, so we took a chaise in the afternoon to Pickering, a small agricultural town, and lodged in a comfortable inn there. On Wednesday morning at 8 we started by the railroad for Whitby, in a huge carriage denominated the Lady Hilda capable of containing 40 persons or more drawn by one horse, or in the steep parts of the railway by two horses. The road goes through a set of defiles of the eastern moorlands of Yorks.h.i.+re which are extremely pretty: at first woody and rich, then gradually poorer, and at last opening on a black moor with higher moors in sight: descending in one part by a long crooked inclined plane, the carriage drawing up another load by its weight: through a little tunnel: and then along a valley to Whitby. The rate of travelling was about 10 miles an hour. Betsy declares that it was the most agreeable travelling that she ever had.

Yesterday (Sat.u.r.day) Caroline drove Betsy and Miss Barnes drove me to Clay Cross to see the works at the great railroad tunnel there. Coming from the north, the railroad pa.s.ses up the Chesterfield valley close by the town and continues up the same valley, till it is necessary for it to enter the valley which runs the opposite way towards b.u.t.tersley: the tunnel pa.s.ses under the high ground between these two vallies: so that it is in reality at the water-shed: it is to be I think more than a mile long, and when finished 27 feet clear in height, so it is a grand place. We saw the preparations for a blast, and heard it fired: the ladies stopping their ears in due form.

1839

"Cambridge Observatory:--On Mar. 7th I went to Cambridge on the business of the Northumberland Telescope: I was subsequently engaged on the accounts, and on Aug. 16th I finally resigned it to Prof. Challis, who accepted it on Aug. 19th. On Sept. 11th I communicated its completion and the settlement of accounts to the Duke of Northumberland. The total expense was _1938. 9s. 2d._ + 15000 francs for the object-gla.s.s.

"At Greenwich Observatory:--On Jan. 3rd I received the last revise of the 1837 Observations, and on Jan. 8th the first sheet for 1838.--In July I report on selection from a long list of chronometers which had been on trial, and on Sept. 2nd I pointed out to Capt. Beaufort that the system of offering only one price would be ruinous to the manufacture of chronometers, and to the character of those supplied to the Admiralty: and that I would undertake any trouble of cla.s.sifying the chronometers tried. This letter introduced the system still in use (1871), which has been most beneficial to the manufacture. On Sept. 11th I proposed that all trials begin in the first week of January: this also has been in use as an established system to the present time.--It was pointed out to me that a certain chronometer was affected by external magnetic power. I remedied this by placing under it a free compa.s.s magnet: a stand was specially prepared for it. I have never found another chronometer sensibly affected by magnetism.--In November and December I tried my new double-image micrometer.--Between May 16th and Oct. 13th a fireproof room was constructed in the southern part of the quadrant room; and in November a small shed was erected over the entrance to the North Terrace.--The position of the free Meridional Magnet (now mounted in the Magnetic Observatory) was observed at every 5 m. through 24 hours on Feb. 22nd and 23rd, May 24th and 25th, Aug. 30th and 31st, and Nov. 29th and 30th. This was done in cooperation with the system of the Magnetic Union established by Gauss in Germany.--The Reduction of the Greenwich Planetary and Lunar Observations, 1750 to 1830, went on steadily. I had six and sometimes seven computers constantly at work, in the Octagon Room.--As in 1838 I had a great amount of correspondence with Mr Baily on the Cavendish Experiment.--I attended as regularly as I could to the business of the University of London. The religious question did not rise very prominently. I took a very active part, and have a great deal of correspondence, on the nature of the intended examinations in Hydrography and Civil Engineering.--On the Standards Commission the chief work was in external enquiries.--On June 6th I had enquiries from John Quincey Adams (U.S.A.) on the expense, &c., of observatories: an observatory was contemplated in America.--I had correspondence about the proposed establishment of observatories at Durham, Glasgow, and Liverpool.

"I had in this year a great deal of troublesome and on the whole unpleasant correspondence with the Admiralty about the correction of the compa.s.s in iron s.h.i.+ps. I naturally expected some acknowledgment of an important service rendered to Navigation: but the Admiralty peremptorily refused it. My account of the Experiments &c. for the Royal Society is dated April 9th. The general success of the undertaking soon became notorious, and (as I understood) led immediately to extensive building of iron s.h.i.+ps: and it led also to applications to me for correction of compa.s.ses. On Jan. 9th I was addressed in reference to the Royal Sovereign and Royal George at Liverpool; July 18th the Orwell; May 11th two Russian s.h.i.+ps built on the Thames; Sept. 4th the s.h.i.+ps of the Lancaster Company.

"I had much work in connection with the Cape of Good Hope Observatory, chiefly relating to the instrumental equipment and to the geodetical work. As it was considered advisable that any base measured in the Cape Colony should be measured with compensation bars, I applied to Major Jervis for the loan of those belonging to the East Indian Survey, but he positively refused to lend them. On Jan. 20th I applied to Col. Colby for the compensation bars of the British Survey, and he immediately a.s.sented to lending them. Col. Colby had suggested to the Ordnance Department that Capt. Henderson and several sappers should be sent to use the measuring bars, and it was so arranged. It still appeared desirable to have the command of some soldiers from the Garrison of Cape Town, and this matter was soon arranged with the military authorities by the Admiralty.

"The following are the princ.i.p.al points of my private history: it was a very sad year. On Jan. 24th I went with my wife to Norwich, on a visit to Prof. Sedgwick, and in June I visited Sir J. Herschel at Slough. On June 13th my dear boy Arthur was taken ill: his malady soon proved to be scarlet fever, of which he died on June 24th at 7 in the morning. It was arranged that he should be buried in Playford churchyard on the 28th, and on that day I proceeded to Playford with my wife and my eldest son George Richard. At Chelmsford my son was attacked with slight sickness, and being a little unwell did not attend his brother's funeral. On July 1st at 4h.15m. in the morning he also died: he had some time before suffered severely from an attack of measles, and it seemed probable that his brain had suffered. On July 5th he was buried by the side of his brother Arthur in Playford churchyard.--On July 23rd I went to Colchester on my way to Walton-on-the-Naze, with my wife and all my family; all my children had been touched, though very lightly, with the scarlet fever.--It was near the end of this year that my mother quitted the house (Luck's) at Playford, and came to live with me at Greenwich Observatory, where she lived till her death; having her own attendant, and living in perfect confidence with my wife and myself, and being I trust as happy as her years and widowhood permitted. My sister also lived with me at the Observatory."

1840

"In the latter part of 1839, and through 1840, I had much correspondence with the Admiralty, in which I obtained a complete account of the transfer of the Observatory from the Ordnance Department to the Admiralty, and the transfer of the Visitation of the Observatory from the Royal Society to the present Board of Visitors. In 1840 I found that the papers of the Board of Longitude were divided between the Royal Society and the Admiralty: I obtained the consent of both to bring them to the Observatory.

"In this year I began to arrange about an annual dinner to be held at the Visitation.--My double-image micrometer was much used for observations of circ.u.mpolar double stars.--In Magnetism and Meteorology, certain quarterly observations were kept up; but in November the system of incessant eye-observations was commenced. I refused to commence this until I had secured a 'Watchman's Clock' for mechanical verification of the regular attendance of the a.s.sistants.--With regard to chronometers: In this year, for the first time, I took the very important step of publis.h.i.+ng the rates obtained by comparisons at the Observatory. I confined myself on this occasion to the chronometers purchased by the Admiralty. In March a pigeon-house was made for exposure of chronometers to cold.--The Lunar and Planetary Reductions were going on steadily.--I was consulted about an Observatory at Oxford, where I supported the introduction of the Heliometer.--The stipend of the Bakerian Lecture was paid to me for my explanation of Brewster's new prismatic fringes.--The business of the Cape Observatory and Survey occupied much of my time.--In 1838 the Rev. H. J. Rose (Editor of the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana) had proposed my writing a Paper on Tides, &c.; In Oct. 1840 I gave him notice that I must connect Tides with Waves, and in that way I will take up the subject. Much correspondence on Tides, &c., with Whewell and others followed.

"With regard to the Magnetical and Meteorological Establishment. On June 18th Mr Lubbock reported from the Committee of Physics of the Royal Society to the Council in favour of a Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory near London. After correspondence with Sheepshanks, Lord Northampton, and Herschel, I wrote to the Council on July 9th, pointing out what the Admiralty had done at Greenwich, and offering to cooperate. In a letter to Lord Minto I stated that my estimate was _550_, including _100_ to the First a.s.sistant: Lubbock's was _3,000_. On Aug. 11th the Treasury a.s.sented, limiting it to the duration of Ross's voyage. On Aug. 17th Wheatstone looked at our buildings and was satisfied. My estimate was sent to the Admiralty, viz. _150_ outfit, _520_ annual expense; and Glaisher to be Superintendent. I believe this was allowed for the present; for the following year it was placed on the Estimates. Most of the contemplated observations were begun before the end of 1840: as much as possible in conformity with the Royal Society's plan. Mr Hind (subsequently the Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac) and Mr Paul were the first extra a.s.sistants.

"Of private history. On Feb. 29th I went to Cambridge with my Paper on the Going Fusee. On Mar. 27th I went to visit Mrs Smith, my wife's mother, at Brampton near Chesterfield. I made a short visit to Playford in April and a short expedition to Winchester, Portsmouth, &c., in June. From Sept. 5th to Oct. 3rd I was travelling in the North of England and South of Scotland." [This was an extremely active and interesting journey, in the course of which a great number of places were visited by Airy, especially places on the Border mentioned in Scott's Poems, which always had a great attraction for him. He also attended a Meeting of the British a.s.sociation at Glasgow and made a statement regarding the Planetary and Lunar Reductions: and looked at a site for the Glasgow Observatory.] "In November I went for a short time to Cambridge and to Keysoe (my brother's residence). On Dec. 26th my daughter Hilda was born (subsequently married to E.J. Routh). In this year I had a loss of _350_ by a fire on my Eye estate."

The following extracts are from letters to his wife. Some of them relate to matters of general interest. They are all of them characteristic, and serve to shew the keen interest which he took in matters around him, and especially in architecture and scenery. The first letter relates to his journey from Chesterfield on the previous day.

FLAMSTEED HOUSE, _1840, April 2_.

I was obliged to put up with an outside place to Derby yesterday, much against my will, for I was apprehensive that the cold would bring on the pain in my face. Of that I had not much; but I have caught something of sore throat and catarrh. The coach came up at about 22 minutes past 8. It arrived in Derby at 20 minutes or less past 11 (same guard and coachman who brought us), and drew up in the street opposite the inn at which we got no dinner, abreast of an omnibus. I had to go to a coach office opposite the inn to pay and be booked for London, and was duly set down in a way-bill with _name_; and then entered the omnibus: was transferred to the Railway Station, and then received the Railway Ticket by shouting out my name. If you should come the same way, you would find it convenient to book your place at Chesterfield to London by your name (paying for the whole, namely, coach fare, omnibus fare _-/6_, and railway fare _1. 15s. 0d._ first cla.s.s). Then you will only have to step out of the coach into the omnibus, and to scream out once or twice to the guard to make sure that you are entered in the way-bill and that your luggage is put on the omnibus.

FLAMSTEED HOUSE, GREENWICH, _1840, April 15_.

I forgot to tell you that at Lord Northampton's I saw some specimens of the Daguerrotype, pictures made by the Camera Obscura, and they surpa.s.s in beauty of execution anything that I could have imagined. Baily who has two or three has promised to lend them for your inspection when you return. Also I saw some post-office stamps and stamped envelopes: I do not much admire the latter.