er captious nor unreasonable.

Enough also has appeared to prove, that the conduct of the Admiralty in
appointing that gentleman one of their scientific advisers, was, under
the peculiar circumstances, at least, unadvised. They have thus lent, as
far as they could, the weight of their authority to support observations
which are now found to be erroneous. They have thus held up for
imitation observations which may induce hundreds of meritorious officers
to throw aside their instruments, in the despair of ever approaching a
standard which is since admitted to be imaginary; and they have ratified
the doctrine, for I am not aware their official adviser has ever
even modified it, that diminutive instruments are equal almost to the
largest.

To what extent this doctrine is correct, may perhaps yet admit of doubt.
It cannot, however, admit of a doubt, that it is unwise to crown it with
official authority, and thus expose the officers of their service to
depend on means which may be quite insufficient for their purpose.

How the Board of Longitude, after EXPRESSLY DIRECTING THIS INSTRUMENT
TO BE MADE AND TRIED, could come to the decision at which they arrived,
appears inexplicable. The known difference of opinion amongst the best
observers respecting the repeating principle, ought to have rendered
them peculiarly cautious, nor ought the opinion of a Troughton, that
instruments of less than one foot in diameter may be considered,
"FOR ASTRONOMY, AS LITTLE BETTER THAN PLAYTHINGS," [Memoirs of the
Astronomical Society, Vol.I. p.53.] to have been rejected without the
most carefully detailed experiments. There were amongst that body,
persons who must have examined minutely the work on the Pendulum.
Captain Kater must have felt those difficulties in the perusal of it
which other observers have experienced; and he who was placed in the
Board of Longitude especially for his knowledge of instruments, might,
in a few hours, have arrived at more decisive facts. But perhaps I am
unjust. Captain Kater's knowledge rendered it impossible for him to have
been ignorant of the difficulties, and his candour would have prevented
him from concealing them: he must, therefore, after examining the
subject, have been outvoted by his lay-brethren who had dispensed with
that preliminary.

It would be unjust, before quitting this subject, not to mention with
respect the acknowledgment made by an officer of the naval service of
the errors into which he