ASTRONOMY IN AMERICA. 81 



Before passing to the brief consideration of the work accomplished 

 in some of the other American observatories, we must fully admit the 

 justice of the remarks made by Prof. Nourse in closing his memoir 

 relating to it. " The position now accorded to it," he says, " by the 

 free tributes of scientific men in the Old World as well as at home, is 

 not without honor to our country ; and this notwithstanding the com- 

 paratively recent founding of the institution, and the as yet limited 

 appropriations sustaining it. It may, therefore, justly claim a yet 

 more generous support ; and the pledge may be safely made that, if 

 thus supported and efficiently directed, it will make returns yet more 

 gratifying to national pride, and (which is a matter infinitely more 

 important) advancing the highest aims of scientific research. What 

 shall be its future records of success must remain with the support 

 extended by the government and the fidelity of those who are in- 

 trusted with its administration." 



The actual commencement of astronomical observation in America 

 belongs to a much earlier period than that at which the Washington 

 Observatory was erected. The first telescope used for astronomical 

 purposes in America was set up at Tale College forty-six years ago. 

 The first observatory, however, properly so called, was erected at 

 Williams College, Massachusetts, in 1836. The next was the Hudson 

 Observatory, established in connection with the Western Reserve 

 College, Ohio, under the charge of Prof. Loomis (now of Yale), whose 

 works on astronomy are deservedly held in high esteem in this coun- 

 try as well as in America. The next in order of time came the Ob- 

 servatory of the High School at Philadelphia, which achieved distinc- 

 tion under the able management of Messrs. Walker and Kendall. 

 The West Point Observatory was next established, and placed under 

 the care of Prof. Bartlett. All these preceded the Washington Ob- 

 servatory. 



Soon after the Washington Observatory had been erected, an ob- 

 servatory was built at Cincinnati. Its history illustrates well the way 

 of carrying out such work in America, when the Government does not 

 take the work in hand. The idea of erecting an important observa- 

 tory in Cincinnati was first entertained by Prof. Mitchel, then Pro- 

 fessor of Mathematics at Cincinnati College. He proposed to attempt 

 the task without any aid from the General or State Government, by 

 the voluntary contribution of all classes of citizens. To ascertain 

 whether any interest could be excited in the public mind in favor of 

 astronomy, he delivered, in the spring of 1842, a series of lectures in 

 the hall of the Cincinnati College. With truly American ingenuity 

 he devised a mechanical contrivance, by help of which telescopic 

 views in the heavens were presented with a brilliancy comparable 

 with that " displayed by powerful telescopes." These lectures were 

 attended by large audiences, and I may add, in passing, that the in- 

 terest which they excited is to this day well remembered in Cincin- 

 vol. x. 6 



