in the Cambridge
libraries. I began this Paper (roughly) on Feb. 8th, and finished it
on Mar. 3rd. The history of which I speak, by some odd management of
the Editors of the Encyclopaedia, was never published. The MS. is now
amongst the MSS. of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Other subjects
on my quires are: Theory of musical concords, many things relating to
trigonometry and trigonometrical tables, achromatic eye-pieces,
equation to the surface bounding the rays that enter my left eye,
experiments on percussion. Also notes on Cumberland and Wales (I had
already proposed to myself to take a party of pupils in the Long
Vacation to Keswick), and notes on history and geology.
"I had been in correspondence with Dr Malkin (master of Bury School),
who on Feb. 8th sent a certificate for my brother William, whom I
entered at Trinity on Peacock's side. On Mar. 25th I changed my rooms,
quitting those on the ground-floor east side of Queen Mary's Gate for
first-floor rooms in Neville's Court, south side, the easternmost
rooms. In this term my lectures lasted from Apr. 18th to May
14th. Apparently I had only the Senior Sophs, 19 in number, and the
same four pupils (Turner, Dobbs, Cooper, Hovenden) as in the preceding
term. The only scientific subjects on which I find notes are, a Paper
on the forms of the Teeth of Wheels, communicated to the Philosophical
Society on May 2nd; some notes about Musical Concords, and some
examination of a strange piece of Iceland Spar. On Apr. 29th I was
elected to the Northern Institution (of Inverness); the first
compliment that I received from an extraneous body.
"On May 14th I have a most careful examination of my money accounts,
to see whether I can make an expedition with my sister into Wales. My
sister came to Cambridge, and on Monday, May 23rd, 1825, we started
for Wales, equipped in the lightest way for a walking expedition. We
went by Birmingham to Shrewsbury: then to the Pontycyssylte Aqueduct
and by various places to Bala, and thence by Llanrwst to Conway. Here
the suspension bridge was under construction: the mole was made and
the piers, but nothing else. Then on to Bangor, where nine chains of
the suspension bridge were in place, and so to Holyhead. Then by
Carnarvon to Bethgelert, ascending Snowdon by the way, and in
succession by Festiniog, Dolgelly, and Aberystwyth to Hereford (the
first time that I had visited it since my father left it). From thence
we went by coach to London,
|