xxxix] HAMPDEN AND THE FLAT EARTH 367 



the former declared their firm belief that Fig. 2 showed what 

 would be seen. 



When the pole was set up and the mark put upon the 

 bridge, Mr. Carpenter accompanied me, and saw that their 

 heights above the water were the same as that of the telescope 

 resting on the parapet of the bridge. What was seen in the 

 large telescope was sketched by Mr. Coulcher and signed by 

 Mr. Carpenter as correct, and is shown in the following 

 diagram which was reproduced in the Field newspaper (March 

 26, 1870), and also in a pamphlet by Carpenter himself. But 



' ' Signed by Mr. Carpenter. ' '—Dr. Coulcher s Report. ' ' Signed I " 



he declared that this proved nothing, because the telescope 

 was not levelled, and because it had no cross-hair ! 



At his request to have a spirit-level in order to show if 

 there was any " fall " of the surface of water, I had been to 

 King's Lynn and borrowed a good Troughton's level from a 

 surveyor there. This I now set up on the bridge at exactly 

 the same height above the water as the other telescope, and 

 having levelled it very accurately and called Mr. Carpenter 

 to see that the bubble was truly central and that the least 

 movement of the screws elevating or depressing it would 

 cause the bubble to move away, I adjusted the focus on to 

 the distant bridge, and showing also the central staff and its 

 two discs. 



