614 



Catalogue : the result was the appearance of that work in a much 

 more efficient and more creditable form than it would otherwise 

 have appeared in. In 1832 he also interfered in a matter to which, 

 connected as it is with personal differences, we can only here allude, 

 as eliciting much information on the subject of equatorial instru- 

 ments in general ; a result which is entirely due to the part taken 

 by Mr. Sheepshanks. In 1838 he was engaged in the chrono- 

 metric determination of the longitudes of Antwerp and Brussels : 

 in 1844 in that of Valentia, Kingstown, and Liverpool. In 1843 

 and 1844, the subject of the Liverpool Observatory led him into a 

 controversy, his pamphlets on which will be useful study to those 

 who are interested in astronomical instruments. He was always an 

 active member of the Board of Visitors at the Royal Observatory at 

 Greenwich. 



Mr. Sheepshanks was a member of both the Commissions (of 

 1838 and 1843) for the restoration of the standards of measure and 

 weight, destroyed by fire in 1834. The standard of measure was 

 placed in the hands of Francis Baily, at whose death Mr. Sheep- 

 shanks volunteered (Nov. 30, 1844) to continue the restoration. 

 This matter occupied him closely during the last eleven years of 

 his life. It would not be possible for us to give any detailed account 

 of the operation, a full history of which is to come from the Astro- 

 nomer Royal. We need only say, that after a thorough examina- 

 tion of the process, beginning with the very construction of ther- 

 mometers, a point which gave no small trouble, results were 

 obtained which were embodied in a bill which received the royal 

 assent on the day following that on which Mr. Sheepshanks was 

 struck by the shock which ended his life. The number of recorded 

 micrometer observations is just five hundred short of ninety thou- 

 sand. 



Mr. Sheepshanks was especially distinguished by the integrity of 

 his mind, and by his utter renunciation of self in all his pursuits. 

 He did not court fame : it was enough for him that there was a 

 useful object which could be advanced by the help of his time, his 

 thought, and his purse. His consideration for others was made 

 manifest by his active kindness to those with whom he was engaged, 

 and no less by his ready appreciation of the merits of those against 

 whom he had to contend in defence of truth and justice, as they 



