232 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



the south dome;) an addition was made to the enclosure. The whole en- 

 closure was now about half an acre ; it covered the whole of the small 

 steep hill on which the observatory stands, quite to the isthmus or neck 

 that connects it with the table land of the higher side of the park. About 

 1817 part of the steep dell behind the hill was enclosed as a garden for 

 the astronomer royal. In 1837, part of the table land beyond the dell was 

 enclosed, for the erection of a magnetic observatory. The dwelling house, 

 which was too small, was enlarged in 1836. Thus the present state of the 

 buildings and grounds (1839) is nearly as follows: Whole enclosure about 

 2 1 acres, of which 1 acre, or more, can never be available for buildings, on 

 account of the steepness of the ground, and is used as a garden and waste 

 ground. Whole set of buildings: 1. Dwelling house of the astronomer 

 royal, with the great room above part it; 2. Two domes, (east and \vt--t 

 domes,) detached ; 3. Detached range of buildings, including Flamsteed's 

 small room, the quadrant room, (not used now,) the transit room, the circle 

 room, the library, the chronometer room, the south dome, the computing 

 room, some assistants' apartments, (not for their dwelling, but for their 

 comfort or repose in the intervals of observation ;) 4. Magnetic observa- 

 tory, detached ; 5. Carpenter's shop, gardener's shop, and other out-hou-* >.-. 

 The extent of ground would not be sufficient, if there were not the safety 

 from being surrounded by buildings, which is given by the locality within 

 a royal park. 



3. The construction of the observatory has been altered almost entirely, 

 by additions ; nearly the whole of the original work remains. The collec- 

 tion of buildings is now exceedingly irregular, and in some respects incon- 

 venient. 



4. The astronomer royal is appointed by the First Lord of the Treasury ; 

 but his connection with the admiralty is so close, that the First Lord of the 

 Admiralty probably has the principal influence in his appointment. He 

 holds his office by warrant, under the sign manual of the sovereign. The 

 salary was formerly 100. Bradley and Bliss both held it with professor- 

 ships at Oxford ; but the salary has gradually been raised, and is now 800, 

 (subject to a deduction for a fund for superannuation,) and it is expected 

 that the astronomer royal shall hold no other office. 



5. The duties of the astronomer royal are not very definite ; but, un- 

 doubtedly, he is to attend to the main points of astronomy, to the best of 

 his judgment, rather than to anything of a discursive nature. The appoint- 

 ment originated in the desire of discovering means of finding the longi- 

 tude at sea ; and, therefore, anything applying to longitude would speci- 

 ally require his attention. In this way the trials of chronometers first 

 became a part of his duty ; from which, 'by degrees, it arose, that the care 

 and regular supply of chronometers for the royal riav} T were imposed upon 

 him, to the great injury of the astronomical efficiency of the observatory. 

 Lately, the chronometer business has been confined to rating the chronom- 

 eters on trial for purchase, or navy chronometers brought on shore, with 

 occasional supplies of chronometers to ships by direction of the admiralty, 

 and with general superintendence of the repairs. 



The duties are prescribed : first, by the Queen's warrant, which merely 

 directs the astronomer to apply himself with diligence to observing the 

 heavenly bodies, for finding out the so- much-desired longitude at sea ; (the 

 same words as in the warrant originally given to Flamsteed ;) second, by 

 the official instructions given by the admiralty board, (who have been em- 

 powered to issue instructions by the Queen in council,) which enter a little 

 more minutely into the duties, but necessarily leave the course of astro- 

 nomical observations very indefinite.* 



The board of admiralty sometimes call on the astronomer royal for a 



*The board of visitors are empowered by their warrant, under the royal s'gn 

 manual, to direct the astronomer royal to make such observations as they may 

 think fit : but I am not aware that they have ever exercised this power. 



