ON THE KEW OBSERVATORY. 121 



The neighbourhood of the river and the rather marshy state of the land 

 near the building cause sometimes very dense and interesting fogs*. 



The foundation is of an extremely solid and costly kind. The basement, 

 partly sunk in an artificial mound, is occupied by Mr. Galloway's family and 

 that of Mr. Cripps f- 



The principal entrance is by a flight of stone steps, on the north side, into 

 a fine hall equal to and corresponding with the apartment A. B is a room 

 which was built for the great mural quadrant, and has shutters, 6' IP, in the 

 roof, &c., and in the meridian of the two obelisks near the river. [The 

 northern window of this apartment is used for the exposure of thermometers 

 and hygrometers.] The other wing (C) consists of the (former) transit-in- 

 strument-room, with its sliding shutters, a small apartment for an azimuth 

 instrument, and part of a circular staircase. The north upper room, like and 

 equal to D, is to be used as a bed-room. D is appropriated as a sort of 

 laboratory, library, study, experimental room, &c. The central rooms (A, D, 

 &c.) are entirely lined with glass cases, which formerly contained philosophi- 

 cal instruments, objects of natural history, &o. (many of the cases now sub- 

 ject to dry rot, but still may prove very convenient), and all the rooms are 

 provided with stoves. The flat leaden roof of the front and back rooms (D) is 

 surrounded by a balustrade, &c. It is entered upon by convenient stairs and 

 a door, and serves admirably for viewing the sky, and for the reception of 

 some instruments, &c. The smoke of the chimneys is sometimes annoying, 

 and perhaps a little detrimental ; but I think that the smoke and the hot air 

 scarcely ever rise so high as to interfere with the electrical indications of the 

 principal conductor ; an almost imperceptible breath of wind carries them 

 away horizontally. 



The small equatorial apartment (E) is composed chiefly of wood covered 

 externally by sheet copper ; it is erected partly upon an extremely solid wall 

 extending from the foundation of the whole building. The dome (e) was 

 moveable round its axis by means of beautiful, but now scarcely efficient, 

 internal rack-work, &c. It had above, the usual opening with sliding shut- 

 ters, and below, a kind of door, corresponding with them and opening upon 

 the plinths {/)% : this room is now our principal 



Electrical observatory, which has been thus adapted and furnished. [The 

 parts of fig. 2 in diagonal shading represent a sectional plane cutting the axis 

 of the dome ; the other parts are in projection.] 



Through the centre of the dome A A A has been cut a circular aperture, 

 and in that is fitted a smooth mahogany varnished cylinder, a* a'. B B is a 

 window, the frame of which formerly carried the sliding shutter ; and g (fig. 1 ) 

 are steps by which the top of the dome may be reached. 



G G G, fig. 2, is a strong cylindrical pedestal (the upper part of which be- 

 comes a warm and dry closet for little electrical articles). G' G' is a stage 

 surrounding G, upon which the observer mounts by the steps G^ 



C C C (fig. 2) and h (fig. 1 ) is the safety conductor, composed of a leaden 

 strap soldered to the leaden roof of the lower apartments, which roof is con- 

 nected by various little straps and solderings with leaden pipes (A^^', fig. 1), 

 in good conducting communication with the drains, pond, &c. 



* Electric signs are usually higher upon bridges than elsewhere, all other things being 

 equal in serene weather, and fogs present remarkable electric phsenomena. 



t An apartment, of which X is the window, was frequently used by His Majesty as a 

 turning-room. We want the lathe very much. 



X It may be as convenient to other observers as to Mr. Galloway and myself to know, that 

 these sloping plinths or steps are in frosty weather very dangerous. 



