Chronometrical Arrangements. 217 



cessarily undergo in the act of winding, or to such change of 

 temperature as it may usually meet with in a drawing-room, is 

 neither hard nor difficult; but to enable it to sustain it in alte- 

 rations of position, as well as of temperature, such as I have 

 hinted at, is no easy task. These latter qualities depend upon 

 the accuracy of its adjustment, and perhaps I might add, upon 

 the uniformity of the materials of which the spring and balance 

 are constructed, desiderata not to be arrived at without consi- 

 derable sacrifices of time and labour. It is these, in fact, which 

 so much enhance its value. But lest it should be supposed 

 that I am giving to these adjustments more importance than 

 they really merit, I shall only say, that two of our first-rate 

 makers have sold as common silver watches, for the trifling 

 sum of twenty-five pounds, what were in every respect equally 

 well constructed with their best chronometers, and which wanted 

 only the labours of adjusting to render them such ; nor was the 

 plan abandoned, till it was found that these watches occasionally 

 got into the hands of persons for whom they were not made, 

 who, ignorant of the terms upon which they had originally 

 been sold, were sometimes enabled to bring their maker's name 

 into disrepute. 



But it may perhaps be urged, that the plan of experimenting 

 which I have here proposed, although very well in theory, is too 

 difficult for practice. To this 1 can only reply, that a box chro- 

 nometer is now before me, which has, propria persona-, under- 

 gone, and satisfactorily undergone, the very trials here al- 

 luded to : and, what is more important for the Lords Commis- 

 sioners of the Admiralty to be informed of, is, that for a chro- 

 nometer such as this, I gave to its good and honest maker * 

 the sum of fifty guineas. 



If, however, their Lordships should deem it right, still to 

 have their chronometrical affairs conducted at the Royal Obser- 

 vatory, (and as to the propriety of this, among scientific men, 

 there seems some doubt), I will indulge a hope, and a sincere 

 one it is, that if 500/. must be annually given for two chrono- 

 meters, that two may be procured, at least as good, as any 

 private individual may get for one. 



Whether, also, it was necessary to decoy chronometers to 

 Greenwich, by promising 500/. for what is worth but one, 

 will perhaps admit of doubt. I cannot, however, but think, that 

 a sufficient emulation would have been excited amongst the real 

 makers, (and in this instance none others are worthy of consi- 

 deration,) had the Lords of the Admiralty engaged annually to 

 have published in the London Gazette the name and residence 

 of that artist whose work had been declared the best, whilst 

 the 400/., thus annually saved, might be appropriated to some 



* Mr. Mofyucux. 



