upations, made
frequent drives around Blackheath, and amused himself with his family
history researches, arrangement of papers, and miscellaneous reading:
and he persisted to the last with his private accounts. His interest
in matters around him was still keen. On June 13th he was driving
along the Greenwich Marshes in order to track the course of the great
sewer; and on August 5th he visited the Crossness Sewage Works and
took great interest in the details of the treatment of the sewage.--In
March he contributed, with great satisfaction, to the Fund for the
Portrait of his old friend Sir G.G. Stokes, with whom he had had so
much scientific correspondence.--On July 25th an afternoon party was
arranged to celebrate the 90th anniversary of his birthday (the actual
anniversary was on July 27th). None of his early friends were there:
he had survived them all. But invitations were sent to all his
scientific and private friends who could be expected to come, and a
large party assembled. The afternoon was very fine, and he sat in the
garden and received his friends (many of whom had come from long
distances) in good strength and spirits. It was a most successful
gathering and was not without its meaning; for it was felt that, under
the circumstances of his failing powers, it was in all probability a
final leave-taking.--On July 27th he went down to the Greenwich Parish
Church at 9 p.m., to be present at the illumination of the church
clock face for the first time--a matter of local interest which had
necessitated a good deal of time and money. On this occasion at the
request of the company assembled in and around the Vestry he spoke for
about a quarter of an hour on Time--the value of accurate time, the
dissemination of Greenwich time throughout the country by time-signals
from the Observatory, and the exhibition of it by time-balls, &c.,
&c.,--the subject to which so large a part of his life had been
devoted. It was a pleasant and able speech and gave great satisfaction
to the parishioners, amongst whom he had lived for so many years.--He
received two illuminated addresses--one from the Astronomer Royal and
Staff of the Royal Observatory; the other from the Vorstand of the
Astronomische Gesellschaft at Berlin--and various private letters of
congratulation. The address from the Staff of the Observatory was
worded thus: "We, the present members of the Staff of the Royal
Observatory, Greenwich, beg to offer you our most sincere