condition for issue. The same care was given to the in- 

 struments, and, in order to designate them as public 

 property, the Board of Commissioners ordered that the 

 words "IT. S. Navy" be engraved upon all instruments 

 belonging to the naval service. (Navy Commissioners' 

 Letters to Officers, vol. i, p. 516, Files of the Navy De- 

 partment.) 



On July 13, 1831, Passed Midshipman R. B. Hitchcock 

 was ordered to report to Lieutenant Goldsborough as his 

 assistant. 



In addition to the care and issue of the charts and instru- ce?s U attachedto 

 ments furnished to United States vessels, on fitting out for the De P ot - 

 sea, it was the duty of the officers connected with the depot 

 to ascertain the errors and rates of all chronometers belong- 

 ing to the Government. This was at first accomplished by 

 means of sextant and circle observations, but a 30-inch 

 transit instrument was afterwards obtained for that pur- 

 pose, through the efforts of Lieutenant Goldsborough, 

 and mounted in a small circular building near the depot. 

 (Memoir of the Founding of the TJ. S. Naval Observatory, 

 Prof. J. E. Nourse, U. S. N., p. 14.) 



Early in 1831 the duties assigned to the officers in charge ^er? U atteehea°to 

 of the Depot were increased so as to include "the purchase ^e Depot mcreas- 

 of all charts and chronometers, as well as the sale of such 

 of the latter, or of any nautical instruments, as prove not 

 adapted to the wants of the Navy." (Navy Commission- 

 ers' Letters to the Secretary, vol. iv, p. 128, Files of the 

 Navy Department.) 



Chronometers, previous to their purchase, were required placed on °triai e at 

 to be placed on trial at the depot, to be kept there until p b urchTs ingthfm! 

 the time fixed for testing them had expired, and only those 

 were accepted that stood the required tests. 



Great difficulty was experienced in obtaining and main- 

 taining at the depot an adequate supply of the latest charts, 

 and Lieutenant Goldsborough early turned his attention to- 

 wardsdevisingsomemeansofsupplyingthiswant. Through 

 his efforts the subject was laid before the Hon. L. Wood- 

 bury, Secretary of the Navy, in a letter from the Board of 

 Commissioners, from which the following is quoted : 



"In procuring our charts and nautical works, we have to system of ob- 

 rely upon the supplies to be found in the stores where such nautical books, 

 articles are vended, and must often of necessity procure 

 those which are not the most approved. Almost every 



