Ixiv INTRODUCTIOKT.- 



« and has been concerned in them, who would nor, what- 

 " ever his real fldll may be, feel afhamed to have it thought 

 " that he did not know how to obferve for, and compute 

 «' the time at fea; though, but a fliort while before thefe 

 '' voyages were fet on foot, fuch a thing was fcarcely ever 

 " heard of amongft feamen ; and even firft-rate aflro- 

 *•■ nomers doubted the poilibility of doing it with fufficient 

 " exaflnefs*. 



«' The number of places, at which the rife and times of 

 '* flowing of tides have been obferved, in thefe voyages, is 

 *' very great -, and hence an important article of ufeful 

 *' knowledge is afforded. In thefe obfervations, fome very 

 " curious and even unexpected circumftances have offered 



* In adi^ition to Mr. Wales's Remark, it maybe obferved, that the proficiency of 

 our naval officers in taking obfervations at fea, mufl: ultimately be attributed to the 

 ereat attention paid to this important ohjefl: by the Board of Longitude at home; libe- 

 ral rewards having been gi\'en to mathematicians for pcrfefling the lunar tables, and 

 facilitatino- calculations ; to artiiis for conftruL'Hng more accurate infrruments for ob- 

 fervin>T, and watches better adapted to keeping time at fea. It appears, therefore, 

 that the voyages of difcovery, and the operations of the board of longitude went hand 

 in hand; and they mufl: be combined, in order to form a jufl: cflimate of the extent 

 of the plan carried into execution fmce his A'lajefty's acccffion, for improving aftro- 

 nomy and navigation. But, befides the eftablifhment of the Board of Longitude 

 on its prefent footing, which has had fuch important confequences, it mufl: alfo beaver 

 acknov/ledged, that his prefent Majefly has extended his royal patronage to every 

 branch of the liberal arts and ufeful fcience. Thcmunificent prefent to the Royal 

 Society for defraying theexpence of obferving the trnnjtt of Venus;— the inftitution 

 of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture; — the magnificent apartments allotted to the 

 Royal and Antiquary Societies, and to the Royar Academy, at Somerfet Place ; — the 

 fupport of the Garden of Exotics at Kew, to improve which, Mr. Mafcn was fent to 

 the extremities of Africa ; — they}c/_y?i:,-'??i'M/ encouragement aflorded to learned men and 

 learned works, in various departm.ents ; and particularly, that aflorded to Mr. Her- 

 fchell, "which has enabled him to devote himfelf iiitirely to the improvement of aflro- 

 nomy ; thefe, and many other inflances which might be enumerated, would have 

 greatly diflinguiflied his Majefly's reign, even if he had not been the patron of thofe 

 fuccefsful attempts to perfect geography and navigation by fo many voyages of dif- 

 covery, 



'* them- 



