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Plan for ascertaining the Rates of' Chronometers hy S'lgnal 

 By R. Wauchoi'E, Esq. Capt. R.N. — Communicated by 

 the Author. 



Easter Dudbingston, Poutobei-lo, 

 My Dear Sik, 23d November 1829. 



In sending you the accompanying plan for regulating chrono- 

 meters by an instantaneous signal, I may mention that the sub- 

 ject has occupied my attention since 1818, when I first propos- 

 ed a telegraph for the purpose to the Lords of the Admiralty, 

 and, in 1824, I again wrote on the same subject, and received 

 a letter of thanks from their Lordships. 



I now feel particularly happy in stating that their Lordships 

 have directed a trial of the above plan to be made at Ports- 

 mouth ; and, in a letter of the 12th of this month, from an of- 

 ficer in an official situation there, who has taken a great interest 

 in and superintendence of the signal, he says, — " The Admiral 

 and myself were at the King's Stairs, when a boat from a line- 

 of-battle ship landed with her chronometers, &c. not only to set 

 them by the clock at the Observatory, but they had brought 

 their artificial horizon and sextant to take sights. It was blow- 

 ing very fresh, and the ship I believe was waiting for this in- 

 convenient, and after all unsatisfactory process. I then repeat- 

 ed to the admiral (which I had several times mentioned be- 

 fore) your plan, marking this as a case in point. From that 

 moment he pursued its adoption with energy, and it is now, al- 

 though in an infant operation, quite sufficiently established to 

 give proof of comjylete success.'''' 



Before concluding, I cannot help expressing a hope that the 

 Edinburgh Astronomical Institution may take the plan into 

 their consideration, as the Observatory on the Calton Hill is so 

 admirably adapted for the purpose. A flag-staff of a very 

 moderate height, and a ball of four feet diameter, would be per- 

 fectly well seen bj all the shipping in Leith Roads ; besides the 

 advantage which would accrue to every watch-maker in Edin- 

 burgh and Leith, by giving them the power of comparing their 

 time-pieces with true time. I may mention that that very in- 

 genious and very excellent watch-maker, Mr Whitelaw, No. 



