2Q2 PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



the magazine a list of twenty errors in the tables of lunar 

 distances, which were serious, because of their magnitude and 

 their use by sailors. Six months later another list of thirty- 

 five errors from these almanacs for 1815, 1816, 1817, and 1818 

 made its appearance. This led Mr. Blunt to employ a mathe- 

 matician to recalculate the almanac for 1819, and in his preface 

 to state that " it will afford much satisfaction and promote 

 commercial advantages if, on discovery of an error in any 

 nautical work, publicity should immediately be made." A copy 

 was sent to Hitchcock, who soon made out a list of thirty-five 

 errors, and forwarded them to the magazine. Mr. Blunt did 

 not send the pecuniary reward promised, but published the 

 statement that " the communication of Mr. Hitchcock deserves 

 notice, and he is entitled to much credit for his perseverance." 

 It was a great triumph for a young man to sustain himself 

 against these standard astronomical tables. The most rigid 

 accuracy was indispensable, and the discipline fully equal to 

 that acquired by years of scholastic training. 5. A related 

 discipline came from the publication of a Country Almanac 

 from 1814 to 1818, whose calculations were original. Here 

 also accuracy was essential to success. No complaint was ever 

 made, except in the assignment of Easter to an unusual date. 

 Both clergymen and people denounced the almanac because of 

 this supposed misstatement. Defence was made that the ordi- 

 nary rules for determining this festival were useless for that 

 year, as it was a peculiar case, occurring only once in several 

 hundred years. Soon afterward the bishop of the diocese 

 issued a circular sustaining the almanac. 6. Classical training 

 came in connection with teaching. First came the ordinary 

 labour of making translations and grammatical construction. 

 Then he kept a notebook for putting down the most striking 

 sentiments of an author, such as would answer for mottoes 

 and quotations. To obtain the choicest sentiments he care- 

 fully looked up all the references made from rare authors. 

 Thus he became familiar with the best thoughts of the classical 

 authors, and by fixing them in his memory obtained a fair sub- 

 stitute for the more extended college training. 



During his connection with Deerfield Academy, Hitchcock 

 became interested in botany and mineralogy, through the in- 

 fluence of Prof. Amos Eaton. With two associates, the list of 

 plants and minerals of the neighbourhood was soon made ex- 



