228 PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



who records this, states that his father investigated also the 

 influence of changes of temperature in the presence of large 

 surfaces of iron upon the performance of chronometers, and, 

 "although the conclusions arrived at were at variance with the 

 opinions of men high in authority in such matters, they are 

 now known to be correct." 



About this time the Navy Department sent out the Wilkes 

 Exploring Expedition, the purpose of which in part was to 

 establish the latitudes and longitudes of uncharted places in 

 distant parts of the world where American commerce was ex- 

 tending, and in part to investigate natural phenomena, includ- 

 ing the facts of terrestrial magnetism. In connection with 

 this expedition, Mr. Bond was engaged to make at his private 

 observatory investigations to fix a zero of longitude, whence 

 final reference to Greenwich might be had, and to make a con- 

 tinuous record of magnetic observations at Dorchester for 

 comparison with like records obtained at distant points by the 

 expedition itself. As preliminary to the latter work Mr. Bond 

 tested the magnetic instruments with which the expedition was 

 to be equipped. 



Josiah Quincy, who had given Mr. Bond early encourage- 

 ment, was now President of Harvard College. It occurred to 

 him, to use his own words, " that if Mr. Bond could be induced 

 to transfer his apparatus and residence to Cambridge and pur- 

 sue his observations there, under the auspices of the university, 

 it would have an important influence in clearing the way for 

 the establishment of an efficient observatory in connection with 

 that seminary." 



There was little inducement for Mr. Bond to make the 

 change. His business was prosperous and his home life among 

 friends and neighbours whom he had known for years was very 

 pleasant. The college could offer him no salary only the 

 use of a house. In his excessive modesty he feared that the 

 arrangement proposed would arouse great expectations that he 

 with the facilities at his command would be unable to satisfy. 

 He made other objections, but all were overcome, and on No- 

 vember 30, 1839, he entered into a contract with the college 

 corporation, agreeing to make the transfer as proposed. A 

 subscription was at once raised for fitting up a dwelling owned 

 by the college to be occupied by Mr. Bond. This building, 

 known as the Dana House, was the first observatory of Har- 



