226 PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



and got Mr. Alger to cast a stand for the transit instrument, 

 a small one, which I think belonged to Harvard College. From 

 this time he began to live among the stars." 



Bond's sister also gives an account of the setting up of the 

 first telescope used by him at Dorchester, and says that through 

 it could be seen the satellites of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. 

 She adds that in the pursuit of astronomy " he had had no 

 assistance whatever, except from the genial kindness of Hon. 

 Josiah Quincy, who had early recognised the future astronomer 

 in the unpretending boy in the watchmaker's shop on Congress 

 Street, and whose kindness and encouragement never failed 

 throughout the subsequent years." 



The obstacles in the path of the young astronomer were 

 now rapidly removed. The leading men of science in Boston 

 and vicinity gave him their aid and counsel. " He has men- 

 tioned," writes his son, " the names of Dr. Nathaniel Bowditch, 

 Prof. Farrar, and Tutor Clapp as those from whom he received 

 most encouragement to continue the cultivation of astronomy. 

 Upon his friendly intercourse with the eminent mathematician 

 and astronomer first named he often dwelt with peculiar pleas- 

 ure and warmth of feeling." 



Although instruction in astronomy had been given and 

 astronomical observations had been made by the Professor of 

 Natural Philosophy at Harvard for a century or more, the col- 

 lege had not as yet been able to erect an observatory. In 1805 

 John Lowell, uncle of the founder of the Lowell Institute, had 

 obtained from Delambre in Paris advice as to a building and 

 its equipment. But nothing further was done at that time. 

 Ten years later the 'college authorities took up the subject 

 anew and appointed a committee to form a plan for an observ- 

 atory. Mr. Bond was then about to make a trip to England, 

 and his friends Farrar and Bowditch procured for him a com- 

 mission as agent of the college to obtain information as to the 

 construction and instrumental equipment of the observatory 

 at Greenwich, and to make such drawings as would be needed 

 in constructing an observatory for the college. He was re- 

 quested also to obtain from the makers the prices of instru- 

 ments like the principal ones used at Greenwich. " He per- 

 formed the service," says the writer of the sketch above re- 

 ferred to, " and reported in detail in the following year. That 

 nothing practical came of iff or a quarter of a century was not 



