the Rates of Chrononiel&rs. 158 



fitting for sea in the West India Docks and Canal, all of which 

 could most distinctly see a chronometer signal from Greenwich 

 Observatory. I, at the same time, conversed with many of the 

 captains and officers of those ships, and found that their mode 

 of getling rates for their time keepers was most unsatisfactory, 

 many of them trusting entirely to their watch-makers to send a 

 rate along with the chronometer. I need not say how unsatis- 

 factory such I'ates must ever be found, not only from their jolU 

 ing over the stones before arriving at their destination on board, 

 but the very change from the shore to shipboard renders rates 

 thus obtained very little to be depended upon. In proof of this, 

 the head-master of the Naval School at Greenwich informed me 

 that he not unfrequently took charge of time-keepers, and that 

 he never found the watchmaker'^s rates at all to be depended on, 

 there being often four or five seconds of error, and sometimes 

 said to be gaining when actually losing, and the contrary. 



I found, from all the captains and officers of the shipping with 

 whom I conversed, that a chronometer signal established at 

 Greenwich Observatory would be considered a very great boon 

 to outward bound shipping. 



Having ascertained these facts, I stated the same by letter to 

 the Lords of the Admiralty, and the following is their Lordships 

 answer : — 



Sir, Admihaltt, ^th June 1833. 



Having laid before my Lords Commissioners of the 

 Admiralty your letter of the 17th instant, I am commanded by 

 their Lordships to acquaint you that your plan for ascertaining 

 the rates of chronometers by an instantaneous signal, has been 

 referred to the Astronomer-Royal. I am, &c. 



(Signed) joHN BARROW. 



To Captain Wauchopk. 



A satisfactory trial having been made of the signal at the Ob- 

 servatory, the following is the public notice issiied by the Ad- 

 miralty upon the subject : — 



Admikaltt, October 28. 1833. 



The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty hereby give no- 

 tice, that a ball will henceforth be dropped every day from the 



