54 A Plan for making a minute Survey o/ Ike Heavens. 



kept up among the observers, — to ascertain that every one, 

 who takes part in it, intends to accomplish the proposed ob- 

 ject, — and lastly to superintend the engraving of the maps. 



The Academy had conceived this project before my coming 

 to this situation ; but their arrangements appear to me so pro- 

 per, that I cannot add any thing to them to insure more fully 

 the approbation of astronomers. I hope indeed, besides the 

 principal object, that the discovery of comets or even of some 

 planet, and the opportunity that it will afford to many astro- 

 nomers of acquiring a more complete knowledge of a portion 

 of the heavens, will be some of the valuable results of this un- 

 dertaking. On this account it has met with considerable ap- 

 probation. The greatest part of the districts are ready for 

 distribution, and the whole will probably be finished by the 

 time assigned by the Academy for completing the work, viz. 

 the 1st January, 1829. 



I ought to apologize if I have been too prolix, and I hope 

 you will ascribe it to the desire I have to insure also the ap- 

 probation of the Astronomical Society. I am much flattered 

 that you should have entertained the same opinion with me, 

 as to supplying astronomers with sheets already prepared ; a 

 method which, if it could be executed, would certainly be pre- 

 ferable. On my first coming here, and on being made ac- 

 quainted with the views of the Academy, I thought it right to 

 propose this idea to my fellow academicians ; but having made 

 trial of the time necessary for the execution of such a plan, I 

 have been induced to alter my opinion. M. Harding's maps, 

 — a work whose merit is perhaps not sufficiently known, — 

 embrace nearly the half of the stars that have been at present 

 observed ; or perhaps about one third : nevertheless they have 

 occupied this industrious astronomer almost twenty years. 

 Taking into the account that part of the heavens which is not 

 comprised between —15° and +15°, I believe that ten or 

 twelve years would elapse before one person, or even two co- 

 operating for the same purpose, would be able to finish both 

 the drawing and the engraving of the maps. My present em- 

 ployment does not allow me to apply exclusively to it, even if 

 I had the confidence, which certainly I have not, that every 

 thing would succeed well. The undertaking would in such 

 case be put off so long that perhaps we could never be certain 

 of finishing it. By dividing this work, however, into hours, 

 we may hope that the honour and character of each astrono- 

 mer that may take a share in it, will induce him to carry his 

 own portion to the greatest possible degree of perfection. And 

 if the uniformity in the drawings should not be so great as if 

 a single person had carried on the whole, yet we shall gain in 



point 



