to be
more important, principally under the management of Capt. W.H. Smyth,
R.N.--In November I was enquiring about an 8-inch object-glass. I had
already in mind the furnishing of our meridional instruments with
greater optical powers.--On July 14th the Admiralty referred to me a
Memorial of Mr J.G. Ulrich, a chronometer maker, claiming a reward for
improvements in chronometers. I took a great deal of trouble in the
investigation of this matter, by books, witnesses, &c., and finally
reported on Nov. 4th that there was no ground for claim.--In April I
received the first application of the Royal Exchange Committee, for
assistance in the construction of the Clock: this led to a great deal
of correspondence, especially with Dent.--The Lunar Reductions were
going on in full vigour.--I had much work in connection with the Cape
Observatory: partly about an equatoreal required for the Observatory,
but chiefly in getting Maclear's work through the press.--In this year
I began to think seriously of determining the longitude of Valencia in
Ireland, as a most important basis for the scale of longitude in these
latitudes, by the transmission of chronometers; and in August I went
to Valencia and examined the localities. In September I submitted a
plan to the Admiralty, but it was deferred.--The new Commission for
restoring the Standards was appointed on June 20th, I being Chairman.
The work of collecting standards and arranging plans was going on; Mr
Baily attending to Standards of Length, and Prof. W.H. Miller to
Standards of Weight. We held two meetings.--A small assistance was
rendered to me by Mr Charles May (of the firm of Ransomes and May),
which has contributed much to the good order of papers in the
Observatory. Mr Robert Ransome had remarked my method of punching
holes in the paper by a hand-punch, the places of the holes being
guided by holes in a piece of card, and said that they could furnish
me with something better. Accordingly, on Aug. 28th Mr May sent me the
punching machine, the prototype of all now used in the Observatory.

"On Sept. 25th was made my proposal for an Altazimuth Instrument for
making observations of the Moon's place more frequently and through
parts of her orbit where she could never be observed with meridional
instruments; the most important addition to the Observatory since its
foundation. The Board of Visitors recommended it to the Admiralty,
and the Admiralty sanctioned the construction of the ins