experiment, which as I afterwards found was
written by Mr Percival Leigh."

Of private history: "On Jan. 18th I returned from Playford. From
Mar. 10th to 13th I was at Deal, and visited Sir John Herschel at
Hawkhurst.--From June 28th to Aug. 7th I was staying with my family at
The Grange, in Borrowdale near Keswick: and also made an expedition to
Penrith, Carlisle, Newcastle, Jarrow, &c.; and descended the Harton
Pit.--In September and also in October I was at South Shields on the
Harton Experiments.--From Dec. 14th to 18th I was at Cambridge, and on
the 26th I went to Playford."

The following letter, written in answer to a lady who had asked him to
procure permission from Lord Rosse for her to observe with his
telescope, is characteristic:

ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH.
_1854, September 20_.

DEAR MADAM,

The state of things with regard to Lord Rosse's Telescope is this. If
a night is fine, it is wanted for his use or for the use of
professional astronomers. If it is not fine, it is of no use to
anybody. Now considering this, and considering that the appropriation
of the telescope on a fine night to any body but a technical
astronomer is a misapplication of an enormous capital of money and
intellect which is invested in this unique instrument--it is against
my conscience to ask Lord Rosse to place it at the service of any
person except an experienced astronomer. No introduction, I believe,
is necessary for seeing it in the day-time. The instrument stands
unenclosed in the Castle Demesne, to which strangers are admitted
without question, I believe...............

Faithfully yours,
G.B. AIRY.

1855

"On May 9th it was notified to me (I think through the Hydrographer)
that the Admiralty were not unwilling to increase my salary. I made
application therefore; and on Jan. 21st 1856 Sir Charles Wood notified
to me that the Admiralty consented to have it raised from _L800_ to
_L1000_.--In the Report to the Board of Visitors it appears that 'At
the instance of the Board of Trade, acting on this occasion through a
Committee of the Royal Society, a model of the Transit Circle (with
the improvement of perforated cube, &c. introduced in the Cape
Transit Circle) has been prepared for the Great Exhibition at
Paris.'--Under the head of Reduction of Astronomical Observations it
is s