Sir David Gill. 
203 
When Gill knew of Stone's appointment he put in an application for 
the Cape vacancy, but was told by the Secretary to the Admiralty that 
Stone had not yet handed in his resignation, and so his application could 
not be considered. He was, however, permitted to leave his testimonials, 
that they might be considered when the vacancy did occur. This Gill 
knew would be when the 1880 Catalogue was completed. 
Gill's commission to the Cape Observatory is dated February 19, 1879. 
It is fortunate for astronomy that he obtained this appointment and not 
Oxford, for although he certainly would have adorned any chair of 
astronomy, it is as a working astronomer, as a great organizer, as a 
courageous pioneer, as an indefatigable observer, a hard driver of himself 
and others, that Gill stands head and shoulders above his fellows. 
And curiously enough it was a layman — a layman as far as astronomy 
is concerned — who rightly measured these qualities. When the Cajoe 
Observatory fell vacant in 1879, the appointment of astronomer lay in 
the power of W. H. Smith, then First Lord of the Admiralty. It is 
well known now that another, and a very strong candidate, was being 
pushed for the post — pushed by a body of very influential men, and 
so pushed that Gill's chances seemed somewhat remote. When the 
final decision came to be made, W. H. Smith unhesitatingly put his hand 
on Gill's papers, saying, "That's the man for the post." 
Gill made use of the period that lay between his appointment and his 
leaving for the Cape in again visiting the larger observatories of Europe 
— Paris, Strasburg, Leiden, Groningen, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Helsing- 
fors, Pulkova. He was thus enabled to enter into personal relations wnth 
the leading astronomers of that day. This personal note Gill never let 
pass out of his life. Other astronomers were to him comrades, friends, 
whom it Was a delight to meet, and to whom it was a pleasure to write. 
.x\nd herein lay much of the secret of his personal success. Notwith- 
standing the magnitude of his undertakings and the constant spaciousness 
of his thoughts, he was profoundly human. Life to him was a joyous 
thing, not only because of the opportunities it gave of advancing know- 
ledge, but because of the friendships that went to make it rich, and the 
affections that made it beautiful. Among his last words were : "I would 
so like to live a little longer" — and the thought was born of the nearness 
of those who loved him. 
At the observatories which he visited, as well as at the universities, 
Gill met a number of young students who in after-days rose to dis- 
tinguished positions, men who have given tokens of their genius to the 
annals of astronomy. These men Gill bound to him by indissoluble ties. 
Gill and his wife sailed for the Cape on May 2, 1879, in the Taymoutli 
Castle, commanded by Captain Eobinson. They arrived at the Cape on 
May 26th, and were met by Mr. Stone, who left the next day for England. 
