Mr. PoGSON on the Madras Celestial Survey. 



retire therefrom unless compelled to do so by failing health. 

 Wherever else therefore a partial survey of the southern 

 hemisphere may be attempted, it must be at once clearly 

 understood that it is independent of the Madras Survey. Be- 

 fore leaving England, at the close of the }^ear 1860, my inten- 

 tion of extending Professor Argelander's great work south- 

 ward was well known to and warmly approved by Mr. Hind, 

 Mr. Carrington, Admiral W. H. Smyth, the Revd. R. Main, 

 and many other leading scientific friends, and my promise 

 was given to the Government of India to begin the work 

 with as little delay as possible. The dilapidated state of 

 the observatory, the overwhelming arrears orfheteorological 

 and magnetieal reductions, and the general inefficiency of 

 the means at my disposal, all combined to render delay in- 

 evitable ; but it is with much pleasure I am now able to state 

 that, thanks to the lively interest taken by His Excellency 

 Sir W. Denison in the promotion of science, thorough renova- 

 tion of the buildings and revision of the staff of assistants 

 have been sanctioned, and that such improvements have 

 already been more or less completed as will prevent further 

 loss of time and will tend greatly to increase the activity 

 and efficiency of the observatory. 



Lastly ; it is with the warm approbation of Professor Arge- 

 lander himself that I am now proceeding with the exten- 

 sion of his northern survey in the opposite hemisphere. I 

 feel most deeply indebted to him for many valuable hints — 

 the ripe fruits of his vast experience — with which he has 

 favored me in prompt reply to my appeal for such assistance. 

 Nothing could however be more contrary to Professor Arge- 

 lander's own wishes and judgment, than that an observer in 

 a totally different climate should be forbidden to exercise 

 his own discretion and compelled to make the southern 

 survey a mere copy or continuation of that executed at Bonn. 

 Yet such has been laid down as a rule for the contem- 



12 



