14 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NAUTICAL ALMANAC. 



perhaps for ever. He begs leave to represent to the Hon. 

 Board that on a presumption that he should be continued in the 

 same situation as long as he deserved their confidence by pro- 

 perly executing the trust they kindly reposed in him, he discharged 

 some private pupils for whose education he was liberally paid, 

 and refused others that were offered him, that he might give his 

 whole time to the computations of the ephemeris. On the same 

 supposition of a permanent engagement, he also computed a 

 great number of new tables, and enlarged many old ones for 

 expediting the calculations of the ephemeris, all of which will 

 now be of no further service, though their construction cost him 

 at different times, much more than a half-year's close applica- 

 tion. For these and other reasons which might be adduced, were 

 it not for fear of intruding too much on the time and attention 

 of the Hon. Commissioners, he humbly requests that the Hon. 

 Board will condescend to take his case into consideration, and 

 either reduce the number of years in advance by letting the com- 

 puters have one year to finish in the space of two or three, or 

 make him such compensation for his loss and disappointment as 

 they, according to their wonted liberality, shall think meet ; and 

 their Petitioner will ever pray, &c. 



MALACHY HITCHINS." 



It is gratifying to know that these memorials received every 

 sympathy from the members of the Board, and that other astro- 

 nomical work was found, which was probably sufficient to fully 

 occupy the time of the computers during the suspension of the 

 ordinary calculations. I think that we can infer that this was 

 the case from the following extract taken from the Minute-Book 

 of the Board, dated December 7, 1793. 



' ' The Astronomer Royal called the attention of the Board 

 to what he had mentioned at the last meeting, respecting the 

 " Nautical Almanacs," which were now computed to the end of 

 1804, or ten years in advance, and submitted to their considera- 

 tion whether it might not be proper to discontinue the calculations 

 of them for some years to come, agreeably to a proposal from 

 Dr. Hornsby, that if any improvements are made in the tables 

 from which the Almanacs are now computed, they might be 

 adopted. The Board admitted the propriety of stopping the 

 calculations for the "Nautical Almanac " for some time, and 

 resolved they should be discontinued for five years. 



