454 Error discovered by Dr. Kelly hi the Nautical Almanac, 



Dr. Maskelyne's confidential friend, had not been aware oi 

 any such mistake. 



Among the other scientific persons to whom the com- 

 munication was made was the Earl of Rosse ; which led to 

 an official correspondence on the subject, between the 

 Board of Admiralty and the Astronomer Royal. 



I now, sir, considered the question as settled, so far as 

 it regarded me, and therefore I dismissed it from my 

 mind ; but you may judge of my surprise soon after, on 

 being unexpectedly shown an official copy of Mr. Pond's 

 letter to the Admiralty, dated the 25th of September, and 

 beginning thus : " The mistake in the Nautical Almanac, 

 1812, alluded to hy Dr. Kelly, I have hee7i acquainted ivitk 

 ever since my appointment to my prcse?it situation* ." 



From this extraordinary preamljle it nnight or might not 

 be inferred, that the writer hiinself was the detector of the 

 mistake ; but the direct inference was, that mv pretcnsions^ 

 were wholly unfounded, having only alluded to a well- 

 known subject ; and to aggravate the insinuation, that I 

 had made a Nobleman of the first consequence the medium' 

 of such delusive and frivolous communication. 



In order therefore to undeceive such persons as might 

 have seen this correspondence, the statement of facts was in- 

 serted in your journal; and it was drawn up with all possible 

 delicacy, so as not at all to allude to Mr. Pond's letter: it 

 only noticed Mr. Pond's having compared the almanacs of 

 different years, by which it inight be supposed that he was 

 not acquainted with the error. And thus, sir, the question 

 might have remained at rest, had net his mistaken fiiends 

 (whether with or withouthis concurrence it is hard to say) 

 thus imprudently interfered, and forced me to a further 

 explanation, which I make with extreme reluctance, but 

 which I am compelled to do in justice to myself. The 

 question has indeed taken a most unfortunate turn ; it is no 

 longer a dispute about the credit of discovery, but the dis- 

 credit of misstatement. 



I could, sir, in corroboration of the foregoing circurn- 

 stances, have accompanied this article with letters from some 



* The remainricrof this official letter was a recommcntlatlon to the Board 

 of Admiralty, to pos.pone the correction of the error until the whole edi- 

 tion should be sold otl'i— a vi ry uncertain period, and, if late in the year, 

 a very ridiculous one. It if, howtver, important to observe, that as soon as 

 the statement cf facts appeared in the Philosophical Magazine, an order was 

 jriven for computing a»d printing a new .iiid accurate impression of the 

 Nautical Alm.inac. 



