40 Memoir of the late Francis Baily, Esq.^ F.R.S., <§r. 



not destined to reach without twice incurring the most immi- 

 nent danger from shipwreck, both on our own coast, under 

 most awful circumstances, on the Goodwin Sands, and off 

 New York, which he was prevented from reaching, being 

 driven to sea in a gale, and, after endeavouring in vain to 

 reach Bermuda, was driven into Antigua, whence he subse- 

 quently embarked for Norfolk in Virginia. 



In America lie remained one or two years, travelling over 

 the whole of the United States and through much of the west- 

 ern country ; in which travel he experienced, at various times, 

 much hardship and privation, having, as I remember to have 

 heard him state in conversation (and which must have re- 

 ferred to this period of his life), passed eleven months without 

 the shelter of a civilized roof. During his residence in Ame- 

 rica he was not unmindful of his intellectual and social im- 

 provement, having not only read much and observed much, 

 as a copious journal which he transmitted home proves, but 

 formed the acquaintance of some eminent persons, among 

 whom may be mentioned Mr. EUicot, the Surveyor-General 

 of the United States, from whom he obtained some curious 

 information bearing on the periodical displays of meteors on 

 the 12th of Novemloer, of which that gentleman observed a su- 

 perb instance in 1 799, and from whom it is not impossible he 

 may have acquired a taste for observations of a more distinctly 

 astronomical and geographical nature. 



Whatever may have been the more direct object of this 

 journey, if indeed it had any other than to gratify a youthful 

 inclination for travel and adventure, it does not appear to have 

 exercised any material influence on his after-life, since, on his 

 return to England, in place of immediately entering into busi- 

 ness, he continued to reside for some time with his parents at 

 Newbury, which, however, at length he quitted for London, 

 to engage in business'as a stock-broker, being taken into part- 

 nership by Mr. Whitmore of the Stock Exchange. The 

 exact date of this partnership I have not been able to learn : 

 I believe it to have been 1801 ; but that it must have been 

 prior to 1802, may be concluded from the subject of his first 

 publication, which appeared in that year, viz. ' Tables for the 

 Purchasing and Renewing of Leases for Terms of Years cer- 

 tain and for Lives, with Rules for determining the Value of 

 the Reversions of Estates after any such Leases.' This work 

 (as well as the next) is preceded by a highly practical and 

 useful Introduction, and followed by an Appendix, which 

 shows, that at the age of twenty-eight he had become well 

 versed [in the works of the English mathematicians, and had 

 also consulted those of foreign ones. It speedily attained a 



