140 Corrections in Right Ascension of [Feb. 



employed at our Royal Observatory, are not therein used ; and 

 as the corrections themselves do not exactly accord with those 

 obtained from Maskelyne's, or Pond's tables, the work to us is 

 rendered comparatively of little value; added to this also, it has 

 never found its way into this country, till many months of its 

 year have elapsed. When, however, it has arrived, I believe it 

 has been empluyed by some, on the principle that any assistance 

 was better than none. But let it come as it may, sooner or 

 later, it ill accords with the general scientific spirit of the British 

 government, to allow its astronomers to feel indebted for any 

 standard tables, to the labour of any j'oreign individual, or to the 

 generosity of any nation upon earth. 



As to the inducements which it would hold out to the study 

 of practical astronomy ; — that practical astronomy labours under 

 more disadvantages, than any other pursuit, few I believe will 

 deny ; the expence of procuring instruments, the trouble in 

 using them, the uncertainty through capricious weather, of being 

 able to use them when we wish j the time (namely the night) 

 when alone they can be employed to the greatest advantage ; the 

 sacrifices of the amusements, either of fancy, or of fashion, 

 which a close attention to their use naturally entails upon us ; 

 the recollection, that while the labourers in other departments 

 of science are frequently rewarded by some brilliant discovery, 

 we " cast our bread upon the waters, expecting not to see it for 

 many days," are powerful preventives to the general cultivation 

 of practical astronomy ; but when in addition to these, it is felt, 

 that the pleasures of observing are only preparatory to the 

 labours of computing ; known that more observations can be 

 procured in one night, than can be reduced during the succeed- 

 ing day ; remembered that unreduced observations are of no use ;* 

 then I say it is astonishing, not that we have so few, but that we 

 have any private observers at all ; and well do I know, that many 

 good instruments are now lying idle, which if the auxiliary 

 alluded to were afforded, would be immediately employed. But, 

 perhaps, some will say, private observers are unworthy of consi- 

 deration.f If any such there be, I would remind them, that a 

 private observer at Wanstead, discovered the aberration of light; 

 and but for the labours of a private observer at Westbury, the 

 Greenwich mural quadrant would probably, at the present 

 moment, be distributing its inaccuracies to the astronomers of 

 Europe, and the world. 



• Instances have occurred in which such a mass of unreduced observations has accu- 

 mulated, that the observer has been induced to abandon further observations; knowing 

 that he had by him already, more than he could expect to reduce during his life ; and 

 on a recent occasion, a distinguished astronomer was, under such a feeling, impelled to 

 part with his instrument. Thus has practical astronomy lost one of its most indus- 

 trious cultivators in the retirement of Mr. Groombridge. It will, however, be some 

 satisfaction to know, that his observations, from 20,000 to 30,000 in number, are at the 

 present time being reduced at the public expence ! 



•}• That Government think differently, is obvious from the preceding note. 



