Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Part 10

--The following paragraph is extracted from the Report to the Visitors: 'In the Report of last year, I stated that our reductions had dropped considerably in arrear. I have the satisfaction now of stating that this arrear and very much more have been completely recovered, and that the reductions are now in as forward a state as at any time since my connection with the Observatory.' In fact the observations of 1842 were sent to press on Mar. 1st, 1843.--About this year the Annual Dinner at the Visitation began to be more important, princ.i.p.ally under the management of Capt. W.H. Smyth, R.N.--In November I was enquiring about an 8-inch object-gla.s.s. I had already in mind the furnishing of our meridional instruments with greater optical powers.--On July 14th the Admiralty referred to me a Memorial of Mr J.G. Ulrich, a chronometer maker, claiming a reward for improvements in chronometers. I took a great deal of trouble in the investigation of this matter, by books, witnesses, &c., and finally reported on Nov. 4th that there was no ground for claim.--In April I received the first application of the Royal Exchange Committee, for a.s.sistance in the construction of the Clock: this led to a great deal of correspondence, especially with Dent.--The Lunar Reductions were going on in full vigour.--I had much work in connection with the Cape Observatory: partly about an equatoreal required for the Observatory, but chiefly in getting Maclear's work through the press.--In this year I began to think seriously of determining the longitude of Valencia in Ireland, as a most important basis for the scale of longitude in these lat.i.tudes, by the transmission of chronometers; and in August I went to Valencia and examined the localities. In September I submitted a plan to the Admiralty, but it was deferred.--The new Commission for restoring the Standards was appointed on June 20th, I being Chairman.

The work of collecting standards and arranging plans was going on; Mr Baily attending to Standards of Length, and Prof. W.H. Miller to Standards of Weight. We held two meetings.--A small a.s.sistance was rendered to me by Mr Charles May (of the firm of Ransomes and May), which has contributed much to the good order of papers in the Observatory. Mr Robert Ransome had remarked my method of punching holes in the paper by a hand-punch, the places of the holes being guided by holes in a piece of card, and said that they could furnish me with something better. Accordingly, on Aug. 28th Mr May sent me the punching machine, the prototype of all now used in the Observatory.

"On Sept. 25th was made my proposal for an Altazimuth Instrument for making observations of the Moon's place more frequently and through parts of her orbit where she could never be observed with meridional instruments; the most important addition to the Observatory since its foundation. The Board of Visitors recommended it to the Admiralty, and the Admiralty sanctioned the construction of the instrument and the building to contain it." The following pa.s.sage is quoted from the Address of the Astronomer Royal to the Board of Visitors at the Special Meeting of Nov. 10th, 1843: "The most important object in the inst.i.tution and maintenance of the Royal Observatory has always been the Observations of the Moon. In this term I include the determination of the places of fixed stars which are necessary for ascertaining the instrumental errors applicable to the instrumental observations of the Moon. These, as regards the objects of the inst.i.tution, were merely auxiliaries: the history of the circ.u.mstances which led the Government of the day to supply the funds for the construction of the Observatory shews that, but for the demands of accurate Lunar Determinations as aids to navigation, the erection of a National Observatory would never have been thought of. And this object has been steadily kept in view when others (necessary as fundamental auxiliaries) were pa.s.sed by. Thus, during the latter part of Bradley's time, and Bliss's time (which two periods are the least efficient in the modern history of the Observatory), and during the latter part of Maskelyne's presidency (when, for years together, there is scarcely a single observation of the declination of a star), the Observations of the Moon were kept up with the utmost regularity. And the effect of this regularity, as regards its peculiar object, has been most honourable to the inst.i.tution. The existing Theories and Tables of the Moon are founded entirely upon the Greenwich Observations; the Observatory of Greenwich has been looked to as that from which alone adequate observations can be expected, and from which they will not be expected in vain: and it is not perhaps venturing too much to predict that, unless some gross dereliction of duty by the managers of the Observatory should occur, the Lunar Tables will always be founded on Greenwich Observations.

With this impression it has long been to me a matter of consideration whether means should not be taken for rendering the series of Observations of the Moon more complete than it can be made by the means at present recognized in our observatories."--In ill.u.s.tration of the foregoing remarks, the original inscription still remaining on the outside of the wall of the Octagon Room of the Observatory may be quoted. It runs thus: 'Carolus II's Rex Optimus Astronomiae et Nauticae Artis Patronus Maximus Speculam hanc in utriusque commodum fecit Anno D'ni MDCLXXVI Regni sui XXVIII curante Iona Moore milite RTSG.'

"The Ashburton Treaty had been settled with the United States, for the boundary between Canada and the State of Maine, and one of its conditions was, that a straight line about 65 miles in length should be drawn through dense woods, connecting definite points. It soon appeared that this could scarcely be done except by astronomical operations. Lord Canning, Under Secretary of the Foreign Office, requested me to nominate two astronomers to undertake the work. I strongly recommended that Military Officers should carry out the work, and Capt. Robinson and Lieut. Pipon were detached for this service. On Mar. 1st they took lodgings at Greenwich, and worked at the Observatory every day and night through the month. My detailed astronomical instructions to them were drawn out on Mar. 29th. I prepared all the necessary skeleton forms, &c., and looked to their scientific equipment in every way. The result will be given in 1844.

"Of private history: In January I went to Dover with my wife to see the blasting of a cliff there: we also visited Sir J. Herschel at Hawkhurst. In April I was at Playford, on a visit to Arthur Biddell. On Apr. 9th my daughter Annot was born. From July 22nd to August 25th I was travelling in the South of Ireland, chiefly to see Valencia and consider the question of determining its longitude: during this journey I visited Lord Rosse at Birr Castle, and returned to Weymouth, where my family were staying at the time. In October I visited Cambridge, and in December I was again at Playford."

The journey to Cambridge (Oct. 24th to 27th) was apparently in order to be present on the occasion of the Queen's visit there on the 25th: the following letter relating to it was written to his wife:

SEDGWICK'S ROOMS, TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

_1843, Oct. 26, Thursday_.

I have this morning received your letter: I had no time to write yesterday. There are more things to tell of than I can possibly remember. The Dean of Ely yesterday was in a most ludicrous state of misery because his servant had sent his portmanteau (containing his scarlet academicals as well as everything else) to London, and it went to Watford before it was recovered: but he got it in time to shew himself to-day. Yesterday morning I came early to breakfast with Sedgwick. Then I walked about the streets to look at the flags. Cambridge never had such an appearance before. In looking along Trinity Street or Trumpington Street there were arches and flags as close as they could stand, and a cord stretched from King's Entrance to Mr Deck's or the next house with flags on all its length: a flag on St Mary's, and a huge royal standard ready to hoist on Trinity Gateway: laurels without end. I applied at the Registrar's office for a ticket which was to admit me to Trinity Court, the Senate House, &c., and received from Peac.o.c.k one for King's Chapel. Then there was an infinity of standing about, and very much I was fatigued, till I got some luncheon at Blakesley's rooms at 1 o'clock. This was necessary because there was to be no dinner in hall on account of the Address presentation. The Queen was expected at 2, and arrived about 10 minutes after 2. When she drove up to Trinity Gate, the Vice-Chancellor, masters, and beadles went to meet her, and the beadles laid down their staves, which she desired them to take again. Then she came towards the Lodge as far as the Sundial, where Whewell as master took the college keys (a bundle of rusty keys tied together by a particularly greasy strap) from the bursar Martin, and handed them to the Queen, who returned them. Then she drove round by the turret-corner of the court to the Lodge door. Almost every member of the University was in the court, and there was a great hurraing except when the ceremonies were going forward. Presently the Queen appeared at a window and bowed, and was loudly cheered. Then notice was given that the Queen and Prince would receive the Addresses of the University in Trinity hall, and a procession was formed, in which I had a good place, as I claimed rank with the Professors. A throne and canopy were erected at the top of the hall, but the Queen did not sit, which was her own determination, because if she had sat it would have been proper that everybody should back out before presenting the Address to the Prince: which operation would have suffocated at least 100 people. The Queen wore a blue gown and a brown shawl with an immense quant.i.ty of gold embroidery, and a bonnet. Then it was known that the Queen was going to service at King's Chapel at half past three: so everybody went there. I saw the Queen walk up the antechapel and she looked at nothing but the roof. I was not able to see her in chapel or to see the throne erected for her with its back to the Table, which has given great offence to many people. (I should have said that before the Queen came I called on Dr Haviland, also on Scholefield, also on the Master of Christ's.) After this she returned to Trinity, and took into her head to look at the chapel. The cloth laid on the pavement was not long enough and the undergraduates laid down their gowns. Several of the undergraduate n.o.blemen carried candles to illuminate Newton's statue. After this the Prince went by torchlight to the library. Then I suppose came dinner, and then it was made known that at half-past nine the Queen would receive some Members of the University. So I rigged myself up and went to the levee at the Lodge and was presented in my turn; by the Vice-Chancellor as "Ex-Professor Airy, your Majesty's Astronomer Royal." The Queen and the Prince stood together, and a bow was made to and received from each. The Prince recognised me and said "I am glad to see you," or something like that. Next to him stood Goulburn, and next Lord Lyndhurst, who to my great surprise spoke very civilly to me (as I will tell you afterwards). The Queen had her head bare and a sort of French white gown and looked very well. She had the ribbon of the Garter on her breast; but like a ninny I forgot to look whether she had the Garter upon her arm. The Prince wore his Garter. I went to bed dead tired and got up with a headache.--About the degree to the Prince and the other movements I will write again.

Here is a note from Cubitt relating to the blasting of the Round Down Cliff at Dover referred to above:

GREAT GEORGE STREET, _Jan. 20th, 1843_.

MY DEAR SIR,

_Thursday_ next the 26th at 12 is the time fixed for the attempt to blow out the foot of the "Round Down" Cliff near Dover.

The Galvanic apparatus has been repeatedly tried in place--that is by exploding cartridges in the very chambers of the rock prepared for the powder--with the batteries at 1200 feet distance they are in full form and act admirably so that I see but little fear of failure on that head.

They have been rehearsing the explosions on the plan I most strongly recommended, that is--to fire each chamber by an independent battery and circuit and to discharge the three batteries simultaneously by signal or word of command which answers well and "no mistake."

I shall write to Sir John Herschel to-day, and remain

My dear Sir, Very truly yours, W. CUBITT.

G.B. Airy, Esq.

The following extracts are from letters to his wife written in Ireland when on his journey to consider the determination of the longitude of Valencia.

SKIBBEREEN, _1843, July 28_.

By the bye, to shew the quiet of Ireland now, I saw in a newspaper at Cork this account. At some place through which a repeal-a.s.sociation was to pa.s.s (I forget its name) the repealers of the place set up a triumphal arch. The police pulled it down, and were pelted by the repealers, and one of the policemen was much bruised. O'Connell has denounced this place as a disgrace to the cause of repeal, and has moved in the full meeting that the inhabitants of this place be struck off the repeal list, with no exception but that of the parish priest who was proved to be absent. And O'Connell declares that he will not pa.s.s through this place. Now for my journey. It is a sort of half-mountain country all the way, with some bogs to refresh my eyes.

VALENCIA HOTEL, _1843, August 6_.

It seems that my coming here has caused infinite alarm. The common people do not know what to conjecture, but have some notion that the "sappers and miners" are to build a bridge to admit the charge of cavalry into the island. An attendant of Mrs Fitzgerald expressed how strange it was that a man looking so mild and gentle could meditate such things "but never fear, Maam, those that look so mild are always the worst": then she narrated how that her husband was building some stables, but that she was demanding of him "Pat, you broth of a boy, what is the use of your building stables when these people are coming to destroy everything." I suspect that the people who saw me walking up through the storm yesterday must have thought me the prince of the powers of the air at least.

HIBERNIAN HOTEL, TRALEE, _1843, August 7_.

I sailed from Valencia to Cahersiveen town in a sail-boat up the water (not crossing at the ferry). I had accommodated my time to the wish of the boatman, who desired to be there in time for prayers: so that I had a long waiting at Cahersiveen for the mail car. In walking through the little town, I pa.s.sed the chapel (a convent chapel) to which the people were going: and really the scene was very curious. The chapel appeared to be overflowing full, and the court in front of it was full of people, some sitting on the ground, some kneeling, and some prostrate. There were also people in the street, kneeling with their faces towards the gate pillars, &c. It seemed to me that the priest and the chapel were of less use here than even in the continental churches, and I do not see why both parties should not have stopped at home. When the chapel broke up, it seemed as if the streets were crammed with people. The turnout that even a small village in Ireland produces is perfectly amazing.

1844

"In the course of 1843 I had put in hand the engraving of the drawings of the Northumberland Telescope at Cambridge Observatory, and wrote the description for letterpress. In the course of 1844 the work was completed, and the books were bound and distributed.

"The building to receive the Altazimuth Instrument was erected in the course of the year; during the construction a foreman fell into the foundation pit and broke his leg, of which accident he died. This is the only accident that I have known at the Observatory.--The Electrometer Mast and sliding frame were erected near the Magnetic Observatory.--The six-year Catalogue of 1439 stars was finished; this work had been in progress during the last few years.--In May I went to Woolwich to correct the compa.s.ses of the 'Dover,' a small iron steamer carrying mails between Dover and Ostend: this I believe was the first iron ship possessed by the Admiralty.--The Lunar Reductions were making good progress; 16 computers were employed upon them. I made application for printing them and the required sum (_1000_) was granted by the Treasury.--In this year commenced that remarkable movement which led to the discovery of Neptune. On Feb. 13th Prof. Challis introduced Mr Adams to me by letter. On Feb. 15th I sent my observed places of Ura.n.u.s, which were wanted. On June 19th I also sent places to Mr E. Bouvard.--As regards the National Standards, Mr Baily (who undertook the comparisons relating to standards of length) died soon, and Mr Sheepshanks then undertook the work.--I attended the meeting of the British a.s.sociation held at York (princ.i.p.ally in compliment to the President, Dr Peac.o.c.k), and gave an oral account of my work on Irish Tides.--At the Oxford Commemoration in June, the honorary degree of D.C.L. was conferred on M. Struve and on me, and then a demand was made on each of us for _6. 6s._ for fees. We were much disgusted and refused to pay it, and I wrote angrily to Dr Wynter, the Vice-Chancellor. The fees were ultimately paid out of the University Chest.

"In this year the longitude of Altona was determined by M. Struve for the Russian Government. For this purpose it was essential that facilities should be given for landing chronometers at Greenwich. But the consent of the customhouse authorities had first to be obtained, and this required a good deal of negotiation. Ultimately the determination was completed in the most satisfactory manner. The chronometers, forty-two in number, crossed the German Sea sixteen times. The transit observers were twice interchanged, in order to eliminate not only their Personal Equation, but also the gradual change of Personal Equation. On Sept. 30th Otto Struve formally wrote his thanks for a.s.sistance rendered.

"For the determination of the longitude of Valencia, which was carried out in this year, various methods were discussed, but the plan of sending chronometers by mail conveyance was finally approved. From London to Liverpool the chronometers were conveyed by the railways, from Liverpool to Kingstown by steamer, from Dublin to Tralee by the Mail Coaches, from Tralee to Cahersiveen by car, from Cahersiveen to Knightstown by boat, and from Knightstown to the station on the hill the box was carried like a sedan-chair. There were numerous other arrangements, and all succeeded perfectly without a failure of any kind. Thirty pocket chronometers traversed the line between Greenwich and Kingstown about twenty-two times, and that between Kingstown and Valencia twenty times. The chronometrical longitudes of Liverpool Observatory, Kingstown Station, and Valencia Station are 12m 0.05s, 24m 31.17s, 41m 23.25s; the geodetic longitudes, computed from elements which I published long ago in the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, are 12m 0.34s, 24m 31.47s, 41m 23.06s. It appears from this that the elements to which I have alluded represent the form of the Earth here as nearly as is possible. On the whole, I think it probable that this is the best arc of parallel that has ever been measured.

"With regard to the Maine Boundary: on May 7th Col. Estcourt, the British Commissioner, wrote to me describing the perfect success of following out my plan: the line of 64 miles was cut by directions laid out at the two ends, and the cuttings met within 341 feet. The country through which this line was to pa.s.s is described as surpa.s.sing in its difficulties the conception of any European. It consists of impervious forests, steep ravines, and dismal swamps. A survey for the line was impossible, and a tentative process would have broken the spirit of the best men. I therefore arranged a plan of operations founded on a determination of the absolute lat.i.tudes and the difference of longitudes of the two extremities. The difference of longitudes was determined by the transfer of chronometers by the very circuitous route from one extremity to the other; and it was necessary to divide the whole arc into four parts, and to add a small part by measure and bearing. When this was finished, the azimuths of the line for the two ends were computed, and marks were laid off for starting with the line from both ends. One party, after cutting more than forty-two miles through the woods, were agreeably surprised, on the brow of a hill, at seeing directly before them a gap in the woods on the next line of hill; it opened gradually, and proved to be the line of the opposite party. On continuing the lines till they pa.s.sed abreast of each other, their distance was found to be 341 feet. To form an estimate of the magnitude of this error, it is to be observed that it implies an error of only a quarter of a second of time in the difference of longitudes; and that it is only one-third (or nearly so) of the error which would have been committed if the spheroidal form of the Earth had been neglected. I must point out the extraordinary merit of the officers who effected this operation. Transits were observed and chronometers were interchanged when the temperature was lower than 19 below zero: and when the native a.s.sistants, though paid highly, deserted on account of the severity of the weather, the British officers still continued the observations upon whose delicacy everything depended.

"Of private history: From July 3rd to Aug. 13th I was in Ireland with my wife. This was partly a business journey in connection with the determination of the longitude of Valencia. On Jan. 4th I asked Lord Lyndhurst (Lord Chancellor) to present my brother to the living of Helmingham, which he declined to do: but on Dec. 12th he offered Binbrooke, which I accepted for my brother."

1845

"A map of the Buildings and Grounds of the Observatory was commenced in 1844, and was still in progress.--On Mar. 19th I was employed on a matter which had for some time occupied my thoughts, viz., the re-arrangement of current ma.n.u.scripts. I had prepared a sloping box (still in use) to hold 24 portfolios: and at this time I arranged papers A, and went on with B, C, &c. Very little change has been made in these.--In reference to the time given to the weekly report on Meteorology to the Registrar General, the Report to the Board of Visitors contains the following paragraph: 'The devotion of some of my a.s.sistants' time and labour to the preparation of the Meteorological Report attached to the weekly report of the Registrar General, is, in my opinion, justified by the bearing of the meteorological facts upon the medical facts, and by the attention which I understand that Report to have excited.'--On Dec. 13th the sleep of Astronomy was broken by the announcement that a new planet, Astraea, was discovered by Mr Hencke. I immediately circulated notices.--But in this year began a more remarkable planetary discussion. On Sept. 22nd Challis wrote to me to say that Mr Adams would leave with me his results on the explanation of the irregularities of Ura.n.u.s by the action of an exterior planet. In October Adams called, in my absence. On Nov. 5th I wrote to him, enquiring whether his theory explained the irregularity of radius-vector (as well as that of longitude). I waited for an answer, but received none. (See the Papers printed in the Royal Astronomical Society's Memoirs and Monthly Notices).--In the Royal Society, the Royal Medal was awarded to me for my Paper on the Irish Tides.--In the Royal Astronomical Society I was President; and, with a speech, delivered the Medal to Capt. Smyth for the Bedford Catalogue of Double Stars.--On Jan. 21st I was appointed (with Schumacher) one of the Referees for the King of Denmark's Comet Medal: I have the King's Warrant under his sign manual.--The Tidal Harbour Commission commenced on Apr. 5th: on July 21st my Report on Wexford Harbour (in which I think I introduced important principles) was communicated. One Report was made this year to the Government.--In the matter of Saw Mills (which had begun in 1842), I had prepared a second set of plans in 1844, and in this year Mr Nasmyth made a very favourable report on my plan. A machinist of the Chatham Dock Yard, Sylvester, was set to work (but not under my immediate command) to make a model: and this produced so much delay as ultimately to ruin the design.--On Jan. 1st I was engaged on my Paper 'On the flexure of a uniform bar, supported by equal pressures at equidistant points.'" (This was probably in connection with the support of Standards of Length, for the Commission. Ed.).--In June I attended the Meeting of the British a.s.sociation at Cambridge, and on the 20th I gave a Lecture on Magnetism in the Senate House. The following quotation relating to this Lecture is taken from a letter by Whewell to his wife (see Life of William Whewell by Mrs Stair Douglas): "I did not go to the Senate House yesterday evening. Airy was the performer, and appears to have outdone himself in his art of giving clearness and simplicity to the hardest and most complex subjects. He kept the attention of his audience quite enchained for above two hours, talking about terrestrial magnetism."--On Nov. 29th I gave evidence before a Committee of the House of Commons on Dover Harbour Pier.

"With respect to the Magnetical and Meteorological Establishment, the transactions in this year were most important. It had been understood that the Government establishments had been sanctioned twice for three-year periods, of which the second would expire at the end of 1845: and it was a question with the scientific public whether they should be continued. My own opinion was in favour of stopping the observations and carefully discussing them. And I am convinced that this would have been best, except for the subsequent introduction of self-registering systems, in which I had so large a share. There was much discussion and correspondence, and on June 7th the Board of Visitors resolved that 'In the opinion of the Visitors it is of the utmost importance that these observations should continue to be made on the most extensive scale which the interests of those sciences may require.' The meeting of the British a.s.sociation was held at Cambridge in June: and one of the most important matters there was the Congress of Magnetic Philosophers, many of them foreigners. It was resolved that the Magnetic Observatory at Greenwich be continued permanently. At this meeting I proposed a resolution which has proved to be exceedingly important. I had remarked the distress which the continuous two-hourly observations through the night produced to my a.s.sistants, and determined if possible to remove it. I therefore proposed 'That it is highly desirable to encourage by specific pecuniary reward the improvement of self-recording magnetical and meteorological apparatus: and that the President of the British a.s.sociation and the President of the Royal Society be requested to solicit the favourable consideration of Her Majesty's Government to this subject,' which was adopted. In October the Admiralty expressed their willingness to grant a reward up to _500_. Mr Charles Brooke had written to me proposing a plan on Sept. 23rd, and he sent me his first register on Nov. 24th. On Nov. 1st the Treasury informed the Admiralty that the Magnetic Observatories will be continued for a further period.

"The Railway Gauge Commission in this year was an important employment. The Railways, which had begun with the Manchester and Liverpool Railway (followed by the London and Birmingham) had advanced over the country with some variation in their breadth of gauge. The gauge of the Colchester Railway had been altered to suit that of the Cambridge Railway. And finally there remained but two gauges: the broad gauge (princ.i.p.ally in the system allied with the Great Western Railway); and the narrow gauge (through the rest of England). These came in contact at Gloucester, and were likely to come in contact at many other points--to the enormous inconvenience of the public. The Government determined to interfere, beginning with a Commission. On July 3rd Mr Laing (then on the Board of Trade) rode to Greenwich, bearing a letter of introduction from Sir John Lefevre and a request from Lord Dalhousie (President of the Board of Trade) that I would act as second of a Royal Commission (Col. Sir Frederick Smith, Airy, Prof.

Barlow). I a.s.sented to this: and very soon began a vigorous course of business. On July 23rd and 24th I went with Prof. Barlow and our Secretary to Bristol, Gloucester, and Birmingham: on Dec. 17th I went on railway experiments to Didcot: and on Dec. 29th to Jan. 2nd I went to York, with Prof. Barlow and George Arthur Biddell, for railway experiments. On Nov. 21st I finished a draft Report of the Railway Gauge Commission, which served in great measure as a basis for that adopted next year.

"Of private history: I wrote to Lord Lyndhurst on Feb. 20th, requesting an exchange of the living to which he had presented my brother in Dec. 1844 for that of Swineshead: to which he consented.--On Jan. 29th I went with my wife on a visit to my uncle George Biddell, at Bradfield St George, near Bury.--On June 9th I went into the mining district of Cornwall with George Arthur Biddell.--From Aug. 25th to Sept. 26th I was travelling in France with my sister and my wife's sister, Georgiana Smith. I was well introduced, and the journey was interesting.--On Oct. 29th my son Osmund was born.--Mr F. Baily bequeathed to me _500_, which realized _450_."

Here are some extracts from letters written to his wife relating to the visit to the Cornish mines, &c.--

PEARCE'S HOTEL, FALMOUTH, _1845, June 12th, Thursday_.

Then we walked to the United Mines in Gwennap. The day was very fine and now it was perfectly broiling: and the hills here are long and steep. At the United Mines we found the Captain, and he invited us to join in a rough dinner, to which he and the other captains were going to sit down. Then we examined one of the great pumping engines, which is considered the best in the country: and some other engines. Between 3 and 4 there was to be a setting out of some work to the men by a sort of Dutch Auction (the usual way of setting out the work here): some refuse ores were to be broken up and made marketable, and the subject of compet.i.tion was, for how little in the pound on the gross produce the men would work them up. While we were here a man was brought up who was hurt in blasting: a piece of rock had fallen on him. At this mine besides the ladder ways, they have buckets sliding in guides by which the men are brought up: and they are just preparing for work another apparatus which they say is tried successfully at another mine (Tresavean): there are two wooden rods _A_ and _B_ reaching from the top to the bottom, moved by cranks from the same wheel, so that one goes up when the other goes down, and vice versa: each of these rods has small stages, at such a distance that when the rod _A_ is down and the rod _B_ is up, the first stage of _A_ is level with the first stage of _B_: but when the rod _A_ is up and the rod _B_ is down, the second stage of _A_ is level with the first stage of _B_: so a man who wants to descend steps on the first stage of _A_ and waits till it goes down: then he steps sideways on the first stage of _B_ and waits till it goes down: then he steps sideways to the second stage of _A_ and waits till it goes down, and so on: or if a man is coming up he does just the same. While we were here Mr R. Taylor came. We walked home (a long step, perhaps seven miles) in a very hot sun. Went to tea to Mr Alfred Fox, who has a house in a beautiful position looking to the outside of Falmouth Harbour.

PENZANCE, _1845, June 14, Sat.u.r.day_.

Yesterday morning we breakfasted early at Falmouth, and before 9 started towards Gwennap. I had ascertained on Thursday that John Williams (the senior of a very wealthy and influential family in this country) was probably returned from London. So we drove first to his house Burntcoose or Barncoose, and found him and his wife at home. (They are Quakers, the rest of the family are not.) Sedgwick, and Whewell, and I, or some of our party including me, had slept once at their house. They received George and me most cordially, and pressed us to come and dine with them after our visit to Tresavean mine, of which intention I spoke in my last letter: so I named 4 o'clock as hour for dinner. After a little stay we drove to Tresavean, where I found the Captain of the mine prepared to send an Underground Captain and a Pit-man to descend with us. So we changed our clothes and descended by the ladders in the pumpshaft. Pretty work to descend with the huge pump-rods (garnished with large iron bolts) working violently, making strokes of 12 feet, close to our elbows; and with a nearly bottomless pit at the foot of every ladder, where we had to turn round the foot of the ladder walking on only a narrow board. However we got down to the bottom of the mine with great safety and credit, seeing all the mighty machinery on the way, to a greater depth than I ever reached before, namely 1900 feet. From the bottom of the pump we went aside a short distance into the lowest workings where two men nearly naked were driving a level towards the lode or vein of ore. Here I felt a most intolerable heat: and upon moving to get out of the place, I had a dreadful feeling of feebleness and fainting, such as I never had in my life before. The men urged me to climb the ladders to a level where the air was better, but they might as well have urged me to lift up the rock. I could do nothing but sit down and lean fainting against the rocks. This arose entirely from the badness of the air. After a time I felt a trifle better, and then I climbed one short ladder, and sat down very faint again. When I recovered, two men tied a rope round me, and went up the ladder before me, supporting a part of my weight, and in this way I ascended four or five ladders (with long rests between) till we came to a level, 260 fathoms below the adit or nearly 300 fathoms below the surface, where there was a tolerable current of pretty good air. Here I speedily recovered, though I was a little weak for a short time afterwards. George also felt the bad air a good deal, but not so much as I. He descended to some workings equally low in another place (towards which the party that I spoke of were directing their works), but said that the air there was by no means so bad. We all met at the bottom of the man-engine 260 fathoms below the adit. We sat still a little while, and I acquired sufficient strength and nerve, so that I did not feel the slightest alarm in the operation of ascending by the man-engine. This is the funniest operation that I ever saw: it is the only absolute novelty that I have seen since I was in the country before: it has been introduced 2-1/2 years in Tresavean, and one day in the United Mines. In my last letter I described the principle. In the actual use there is no other motion to be made by the person who is ascending or descending than that of stepping sideways each time (there being proper hand-holds) with no exertion at all, except that of stepping exactly at the proper instant: and not the shadow of unpleasant feeling in the motion. Any woman may go with the most perfect comfort, if she will but attend to the rules of stepping, and forget that there is an open pit down to the very bottom of the mine. In this way we were pumped up to the surface, and came up as cool as cuc.u.mbers, instead of being drenched with perspiration. In my description in last letter I forgot to mention that between the stages on the moving rods which I have there described there are intermediate stages on the moving rods (for which there is ample room, inasmuch as the interval between the stages on each rod used by one person is 24 feet), and these intermediate stages are used by persons _descending_: so that there are persons _ascending_ and persons _descending_ at the same time, who never interfere with each other and never step on the same stages, but merely see each other pa.s.sing on the other rods--It is a most valuable invention. We then changed our clothes and washed, and drove to Barncoose, arriving in good time for the dinner. I found myself much restored by some superb Sauterne with water. When we were proposing to go on to Camborne, Mr and Mrs Williams pressed us so affectionately to stop that we at length decided on stopping for the night, only bargaining for an early breakfast this morning. This morning after breakfast, we started for Redruth and Camborne. The population between them has increased immensely since I was here before. &c. &c.

Here is a letter written to his wife while he was engaged on the business of the Railway Gauge Commission. It contains reminiscences of some people who made a great figure in the railway world at that time, and was preceded by a letter which was playfully addressed "From the Palace of King Hudson, York."