2 REPORT ON THE COMPLETION OF 



April 1842, Mr Russell having resigned, the observatory was placed under my 

 direction, the same system of observation being continued. In the end of that 

 year I suggested the propriety of increasing the number of daily observations, an 

 increase which would require the services of another observer ; this suggestion, 

 which was seconded by the opinion of Professor J. D. Forbes, was at once ap- 

 proved by you, and Mr John Welsh, a talented student in arts of the Edinburgh 

 University, was, at my recommendation, appointed by you as my assistant. The 

 series of observations obtained in 1.843 was necessarily still incomplete, no obser- 

 vations were made after 9^ p.m. nor before 5^ a.m., excepting on term-days and 

 during magnetic disturbances : it was evident, thereibre, that determinations of 

 the diurnal laws would still be desiderata ; while it was equally evident that a com- 

 plete diurnal series would at once satisfy these wants, and render the previous in- 

 complete series of greater value. I then suggested the addition of another ob- 

 server to the establishment, pointing out, however, the most economical way in 

 which this addition could be made, and especially the fact that it would render 

 unnecessary the extra assistants required on term-days. These suggestions were 

 made throughout with the full knowledge that they were in accordance with your 

 object and wishes. I have merely to state the readiness with which you adopted 

 this suggestion and every other tending to the advancement of the work of the 

 observatory. Mr Alexander Hogu, an ingenious mechanic, who had been engaged 

 in the construction of the observatory (which was performed chiefly under his 

 superintendence), and who had been engaged under Mr Russell, at the first, and 

 under myself afterwards, as an observer on the term-da^'^s, was recommended by 

 me, as not only fitted for an observing assistant, but also as likely to be of much 

 use in matters of handicraft connected with the observatory and its instruments ; 

 he was accordingly appointed in the end of 1843. In 1844 and 1845 a series of 

 observations of all the magnetical and meteorological instruments was made 

 hourly, excepting on Sundays.* It was originally proposed that this hourly series 

 should extend through only two years ; in 1846, therefore, the same system was 

 adopted as in 1843. With the year 1846 terminated the period contemplated for 

 the extended work of your observatory, and the period contemplated by the 

 Royal Society of Edinburgh in adopting the large volumes of observations as por- 

 tion of their Transactions. A more limited series was made in the following years, 

 1847, 1848, and 1849. 



* I may remark here that the omission of observations on Sundays, even of the great and un- 

 usual magnetic perturbations, which has excited the astonishment of our German co-labourers, and 

 especially of the Baron Von Humboldt, like the omission of many other works on the same day, 

 has never been felt as any loss. The amount of simultaneous disturbance observations in existence, 

 made on the six week-days, is greater than we are likely to make any use of. It had not occurred, 

 perhaps, to our continental friends that there was any difficulty in determining the kind of scientific 

 work which would not be a " sin upon an English Sunday," as their own limit, if they have any, is 

 not of a very stringent character. 



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