6 REPORT ON THE COMPLETION OF 



way.* I mention this, chiefly to remark upon the time and labour bestowed on 

 the investigations for these important objects. Could I have been satisfied with 

 issuing the volumes of observations from the press uncorrected, as has been done 

 in many cases, or have reduced them by the official methods, the volumes might 

 have been published immediately after the observations were made, as all the 

 ordinary portion of the reductions were performed, and were verified week by 

 week. The whole value of such observations, for any present use, depends upon 

 these reductions : erroneously corrected observations are as useless as if they 

 were uncorrected ; and to publish them in an uncorrected state would be 

 simply to place the volumes on the shelf, with large masses of other like 

 valuable works, till their proper reduction and discussion at the period vulgarly 

 denominated the Greek Calends. It is conceived, therefore, that the great 

 amount of labour was well spent, which was necessary, first, in attempting 

 to obtain satisfactory results from the old processes ; second^ in gradually develop- 

 ing and perfecting the new ones ; and, third, in rendering the factors deduced as 

 accurate as possible, by getting rid of those errors which are unavoidable in the 

 employment of new methods. It is conceived also, though this well-bestowed 

 labour were forgotten, and by far the greater part of it has never shown itself in 

 print, that the speed with which the volumes have appeared, wiU do no discredit 

 to your observatory, nor to its director with one complete and one partial com- 

 puting assistant. 



Printing. — Considerable time was bestowed in arranging the observations 

 into the best forms for printing ; many condensations and improvements were 

 gradually adopted till, it is believed, that the volumes for 1844, 1845, and 1846 have 

 been printed in the most distinct and condensed way to be unabbreviated ; it 

 would have been a great saving of time to have had them printed in twice the 

 bulk. The proofs were carefully revised by my assistants and myself; almost 

 every sheet passed through my own hands before sending to press. 



Division of Labour. — The general management of the observatory, with the 

 correspondence and all other matters relating thereto, devolved upon myself I 

 took a regular share of the work of observing night and day, especially in the 

 years 1843, 1844, and 1845, and, with Mr Welsh, performed the principal portion 

 of the work of computing, and of the more difficult class of absolute observations. 

 I also made, with Mr Welsh, the astronomical observations of transits, &c., 

 and performed other occasional work required by yourself 



* The imperfect system of determining the temperature coefficients by removing the magnet 

 from its place in the instrument to water baths, has been retained in opposition to anything like 

 scientific caution, after its insufficiency has been demonstrated in the case of instruments by the best 

 makers, treated with at least an average care. 



