have been perfectly successful.--Under the head of General Remarks the
following passage appears: 'The system of combining the labour of
unattached computers with that of attached Assistants tends materially
to strengthen our powers in everything relating to computation. We
find also, among the young persons who are engaged merely to serve as
computers, a most laudable ambition to distinguish themselves as
observers; and thus we are always prepared to undertake any
observations which may be required, although necessarily by an
expenditure of strength which would usually be employed on some other
work.'--Considerable work was undertaken in preparing a new set of
maps of our buildings and grounds.--On Apr. 23rd there was a small
fire in the magnetic observatory, which did little mischief.--In
December I wrote my description of the Transit Circle.--Lieut.
Stratford, the Editor of the Nautical Almanac, died, and
there was some competition for the office. I was willing to take
it at a low rate, for the addition to my salary: Mr Main--and I think
Mr Glaisher--were desirous of exchanging to it: Prof. Adams was
anxious for it. The Admiralty made the excellent choice of Mr
Hind.--In October Faraday and I, at Lothbury, witnessed some
remarkable experiments by Mr Latimer Clark on a galvanic current
carried four times to and from Manchester by subterranean wires (more
than 2000 miles) shewing the retardation of visible currents (at their
maximum effect) and the concentration of active power. I made
investigations of the velocity of the Galvanic Current.--I was engaged
on the preliminary enquiries and arrangements for the Deal Time
Ball.--With respect to the Westminster Clock; an angry paper was
issued by Mr Vulliamy. In October I expostulated with Denison about
his conduct towards Sir Charles Barry: on November 7th I resigned.--On
Feb. 11th I was elected President of the Royal Astronomical
Society.--In the Royal Institution I lectured on the Ancient
Eclipses.--On Dec. 15th I was elected to the Academy of
Brussels.--After preliminary correspondence with Sir W. Molesworth
(First Commissioner of Works, &c.) and Sir Charles Barry (Architect of
the Westminster Palace), I wrote, on May 14th, to Mr Gladstone about
depositing the four Parliamentary Copies of Standards, at the Royal
Observatory, the Royal Mint, the Royal Society, and within a wall of
Westminster Palace. Mr Gladstone assented on June 23rd.--On Mar. 26th
I wrote to Mr Gladst