Astronomical Society. 375 



decease, it gained the approbation of his countrymen and the eulogies 

 of foreign astronomers. La Lande, speaking of it, says, " On a fait 

 a Bologne, k Vienne, k Berlin, k Milan ; mais le ' Nautical Almanac' 

 de Londrcs est I'ephemeride la plus parfaite qu'il y ait jamais eu." 



On the death of Maskelyne, the superintendence of it passed into 

 the hands of " irresponsible" persons, and the character which it had 

 so long sustained was lost. Compared with corresponding produc- 

 tions of other countries, it was not only inaccurate but incomplete. 

 Astronomical knowledge was progressive ; but the Nautical Almanac 

 remained not only stationary, but retrograded. To restore it to its 

 former rank, a new Board of Longitude was formed, and the super- 

 intendence of the Almanac was confided to the Secretary of the Board. 

 To retrieve the character of a work which, from holding the highest 

 rank in the ephemerides of Europe, had descended below mediocrity, 

 was no easy task ; but it is due to the memory of that eminent per- 

 son to acknowledge, that the first volumes published under his super- 

 intendence did much to restore its character for accuracy. Other 

 ephemerides, however, having, in an astronomical point of view, got 

 the start of it, sustained their superiority; and there is scarcely an 

 observatory in the country upon whose desks have not been found, 

 for several years past, the ephemerides of France, of Berlin, and of 

 Milan. As a small addition, a supplement has been recently published j 

 this, however, gets into circulation not till its year is actually com- 

 menced, and therefore is comparatively of little use. Under these 

 circumstances, so injurious to the astronomical character of the coun- 

 try, many have been the discussions relative to the Nautical Almanac, 

 and the individual who has the honour to address you has not been 

 unconcerned in them. His animadversions may have been occasionally 

 severe, but he hopes never unjust; — they were intended to convince, 

 not unnecessarily to wound. For the individual with whom he had 

 the misfortune to differ, he entertained the highest respect ; and by 

 no one even of his scientific friends, was his premature removal more 

 keenly fell than by him, who never differed from him but with regret. 

 His acquirements were of no common order; and whatever may be 

 our opinions of his superintendence of the Nautical Almanac, all 

 suffrages will unite in pronouncing him an ornament to his country. 



Since the decease of Dr. Young, the superintendence of the Al- 

 manac has been transferred to the Astronomer Royal, and the volume 

 for 1832 lias just been published under his direction. No important 

 alteration distinguishes it from its predecessors. Almost on the same 

 day appeared the corresponding volume of the Connoissance des Terns. 

 The former gives us no notice of improvements contemplated for fu- 

 ture volumes ; the latter |)vomises some important additions. I have, 

 however, the satisfaction of announcing to the Society the following 

 message from the First Lord of the Admiralty, transmitted to me 

 through the Hydrographcr ; namely, " that the Admiralty has actually 

 ordered some additions to the Almanac for I83;{, and has it in con- 

 templation to order further additions to that for 18;M." What these 

 additions arc, it has not been thought proper to divulge, at least to 

 me; let us therefore hope that they will be worthy of the country, and 



that 



