7$ Sir George Shuckburgh's Account 
the first time, to a combination of circles, representing the 
horizon, the meridian, the equator, and moveable horary 
circle, or circle of declination, each divided into degrees, and 
every third minute, furnished with levels, &c. for adjustment 
to the place of observation. This machine was invented in or 
before the year 1749, and is described in the Philosophical 
Transactions for that year. But as this instrument was fur- 
nished with no counterpoises in any part, and the length of 
the telescope (two feet) was found considerably too great for 
circles whose diameter was not more than six inches, it became 
unsteady, and unfit for any other purpose than that of finding 
and following a celestial object, and, on account of its high 
price also, was, as far as I believe, but little made use cf. 
(10.) However, after some years had elapsed, the idea of 
an equatorial telescope was again renewed by three several 
artists in this kingdom, Messrs. Ramsden, Nairne, and Dol- 
lond, with many and very material improvements, such as 
to carry the portable equatorial almost to perfection. Of this 
instrument Mr. Ramsden had made three or four, as early, 
I believe, as the year 1770 or 1773; viz. one for the late 
Earl of Bute, one for Mr. M‘Kenzie, another for Sir Jo- 
seph Banks, and lastly, one for myself ; with which I made 
a great many astronomical and geometrical observations in 
France and Italy, in the years 1774 and 1775, some of 
which may be seen in a Memoir upon the Heights of 
some of the Alps, printed in the Philosophical Transac- 
tions for 1777. Of this machine a plate and description in 
French was printed in the year 1773, an d reprinted in 
English in 1779. An ample account of this equatorial will be 
found in Mr. Vince's Treatise on practical Astronomy, p. 152. 
