82 A Lellerjrom Dr. Hutton to M, Laplace 



which he himself never claimed, but, on the contrary, always cor- 

 rected the mistake whenever he heard it mentioned. 



" Some time before the year 17<>9, when a transit of the planet 

 Venus was expected, tlie Royal Society contemplated the pro- 

 priety of sending some skilful astronomers to distant countries, to 

 observe that transit. But as the expense of such a mission was 

 above their finances, they represented their difficulty to the King; 

 when His Majesty was graciously pleased to grant a specific; 

 sum to defray the said expense. In conse(|uence, two of my 

 astronomical friends, MM. Wales and Bayly, were in due time 

 sent out to Hudson's Bay, where they passed a summer and a 

 severe winter; and after returning to England, they gave an ac- 

 count of their mission. This was communicated to Government 

 by the Royal Society, together with a statement of the expenses 

 incurred ; which being less than the sum that had been granted, 

 they begged to know the King's pleasure touching the surplus ; 

 when His Majesty was graciously pleased to reply, that the Royal 

 Society might employ it on any experiment, or to any purpose 

 they might think fit. 



*'Afrer duly contemplating this subject, the Royal Society came 

 to the resolution of employing that surplus in determining, by 

 experiment, the mutual and universal attraction of matter, by 

 observing the deviation of a plumb line from the perpendicular, 

 by the attraction of some mountain ; in forming which resolution 

 Dr. Maskelyne took a leading part, lu consequence, a corre- 

 spondence was held with many persons in all parts of Great Bri- 

 tain, to discover a hill or mountain proper for the experiment ; 

 which was at length found in the mount Shichallien in the centre 

 of Scotland. The next consideration was, what person was to 

 go to make the experiment ? It was much wished that Dr. Mas- 

 kelyne would go on that mission ; but he excused himself, on 

 account that he could not be spared from his duty as Astronomer 

 Royal. After some delay, it was agreed to send a Mr. Burrow, 

 a person who had formerlv been Dr, Maskelyne's assistant at the 

 Royal Observatory ; who was instructed, first to make an accu- 

 rate survey of the mountain in all its dimensions, in every direc- 

 tion horizontally, and a great number of vertical sections from all 

 sides ; so that from these a perfect model might be made of it, or 

 its magnitude be accurately computed ; and then he was to ob- 

 serve the deviation of the plumb line. After a year or two had 

 been spent in those measurements, the Royal Society fearing the 

 work might not be well performed, urged Dr. M. to go down 

 hiiuself and direct tlie operations; which, after obtaining the 

 King's leave, he did accordingly, and brought back Mr. Burrow's 

 survey and meabureiuents, with his own observations of the devia- 

 tion 



J 



