the unfinished Dover Pier. I have an idea that this
followed evidence given by me to a Harbour Commission, in which I
expressed as a certainty that the sea will not be made to break by a
vertical wall."

Of private history: "I returned from Playford on Jan. 18th.--From
June 16th to August 5th I was, with my son Wilfrid, on an expedition
to South Italy and Sicily: on our return from Sicily, we remained for
three days ill at Marseilles from a touch of malaria.--On Dec. 22nd I
went to Playford.--In acknowledgment of the pleasure which I had
derived from excursions in the Cumberland Passes, I made a foot-bridge
over a troublesome stream on the Pass of the Sty Head."

1857

"In the Report to the Visitors, when on the subject of the Altazimuth,
the following paragraph occurs: 'I alluded in a preceding section to
the cutting away of a very small portion of one of the rays of the
three-armed pier which carries the Altazimuth. The quality of the
brickwork is the best that I have ever seen, and not a single brick
was disturbed beyond those actually removed. Yet the effect was to
give the Altazimuth an inclination of about 23". This inclination
evidently depends on the elasticity of the brickwork.'--With reference
to the new S.E. Equatoreal the Report states that 'The support of the
north or upper end of the polar axis has been received, and is planted
within the walls of the building in a position convenient for raising
it to its ultimate destination. It is one piece of cast-iron, and
weighs nearly 5 tons.'--Small changes as previously mentioned had been
noticed with regard to the Zero of Azimuth of the Transit Circle, and
the Report states that 'In regard to the Azimuth of the Transit
Circle, and the Azimuth of its Collimator, Mr Main has brought
together the results of several years, and the following law appears
to hold. There is a well-marked annual periodical change in the
position of the Transit Circle, the southerly movement of the eastern
pivot having its minimum value in September, and its maximum in March,
the extreme range being about 14 seconds; and there is a similar
change, but of smaller amount, in the position of the Collimator. I
cannot conjecture any cause for these changes, except in the motion of
the ground. There is also a well-marked connection between the state
of level of the axis and the temperature. The eastern pivot always
rises when the temperature rises, the extr