two books
may be preferred with safety over all others that have been written on
the subject.

MEMORIAL TO THE KING.

It had been calculated that a Transit of Venus would occur in 1769,
observations of which would be of great importance to astronomical
science, and several of the European nations, notably Russia, were
intending to establish points of observation. The Royal Society decided
that as England had hitherto taken a lead in astronomy, she should not
now fall behind, and appointed a committee to report on the places where
it would be desirable to take observations, the methods to be pursued,
and the persons best fitted to carry out the work. This committee advised
that two observers should be sent to Hudson's Bay, two to the South
Pacific and, if Sweden did not send there, two to the North Cape. They
also advised that the Government should be asked to supply a ship to
convey the party to some island to be decided on in the South Seas, and
several gentlemen were suggested as observers, Mr. Maskelyne, President
of the Society, especially recommending Mr. Dalrymple as "a proper person
to send to the South Seas, having a particular turn for discoveries, and
being an able navigator and well skilled in observation." Mr. Maskelyne
estimated the voyage would take about two years, and that a sum of ten
shillings and six pence per day would be a reasonable allowance for
expenses, together with a gratuity the amount of which was to be settled
hereafter. A Memorial on the subject was prepared and forwarded to the
King, setting forth that as a Transit of Venus over the Sun's disc was
expected to occur, and that other nations were intending to take
observations thereof in the interests of navigation, it would be
desirable that as the British Nation had been justly celebrated for its
knowledge of Astronomy, and an Englishman, Mr. Jeremiah Horrox, had been
the first person who calculated the passage of the planet over the sun,
in 1639, the Government should support the Royal Society in its attempt
to take a proper position in the matter, by a grant of money and a ship
to take a party to the South Seas. Four thousand pounds was the sum
named, and on 24th March the President was able to inform the Council
that the King had been pleased to order that it should be placed in his
hands, "clear of fees," for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the
expedition. In the end, after paying all accounts, there was a
considerable balan