Graduation of Agronomical Inflruments . 7 
he retired into Torkjhire , to the village of Little Horton , near 
Bradford , where he ended his days about the year 1 743 ; and 
where I have feen not only a large and very fine collection of 
mechanical tools (the principal ones being made with his own 
hands), but alfo a great variety of fcales and inflruments made 
therewith, both in wood and brafs, the divifions whereof were 
fo exquifite, as would not difcredit the firfl: artifts of the prefent 
times : and I believe there is now remaining a quadrant, of four 
or five feet radius, framed of wood, but the limb covered with 
a brafs plate ; the fubdivifions being done by diagonals, the lines 
of which are as finely cut as thofeupon the quadrants at Green- 
wich. The delicacy of Mr. Sharp’s hand will indeed perma- 
nently appear from the copper-plates in a quarto book, publifhed 
in the year 1718, intituled, Geometry improved by A. Sharps 
'Philomath, whereof not only the geometrical lines upon the 
plates, but the whole of the engraving of letters and figures, 
were done by himfelf, as I was told by a perfon in the mathe- 
matical line, who very frequently attended Mr. Sharp in the 
latter part of his life. I therefore look upon Mr. Sharp as the 
firfl: perfon that brought the affair of hand divifion to any degree 
of perfection. 
Some time about the eftablifhment of the mural arc at Green- 
wich, the celebrated Danifh Aftronomer Olaus Roemer 
began his domeftic Obfervatory, which he finifhed in the year 
1715, as we are informed by his hiftorian Peter Horrebow, 
in the third volume of his works, in the traCt, intituled, 
Bafs AJironomiee , publifhed in the year 1741. In this traCt is 
the defcription of an inftrument, Tab. III. which not only 
anfwered the purpofe of the meridian arc ; but, its telefcope 
being mounted upon a long axis, became alfo in reality what 
We now call a Pranft Injlrument ; and which furnifhed, fo far 
