ld be Professor Henry,
yet sincerely hoped he was not. I afterward found that he was only
"Old Peake," the janitor. [4] When I found the real Professor Henry
he received me with characteristic urbanity, told me something of
his own studies, and suggested that I might find something to do in
the Coast Survey, but took no further steps at that time.

The question whether I was fitted for any such employment now became
of great interest. The principal question was whether one must know
celestial mechanics in order to secure such a position, so, after
leaving Professor Henry, I made my way to the Coast Survey office, and
was shown to the chief clerk, as the authority for the information.
I modestly asked him whether a knowledge of physical astronomy was
necessary to a position in that office. Instead of frankly telling
me that he did not know what physical astronomy was, he answered in
the affirmative. So I left with the impression that I must master
the "Mecanique Celeste" or some similar treatise before finding any
opening there.

I could not, of course, be satisfied with a single visit to such
a man, and so called several times during the year. One thing
I wondered about was whether he would remember me when he again
saw me. On one occasion I presented him with a plan for improving
the Cavendish method of determining the density of the earth,
which he took very kindly. I subsequently learned that he was much
interested in this problem. On another occasion he gave me a letter
to Mr. J. E. Hilgard, assistant in charge of the Coast Survey office.
My reception by the latter was as delightful as that by Professor
Henry. I found from my first interview with him that the denizens
of the world of light were up to the most sanguine conceptions I
ever could have formed.

At this time, or probably some time before, I bought a copy of the
"American Ephemeris" for 1858, and amused myself by computing on
a slate the occultations visible at San Francisco during the first
few months of the year. At this time I had learned nothing definite
from Mr. Hilgard as to employment in his office. But about December,
1856, I received a note from him stating that he had been talking
about me to Professor Winlock, superintendent of the "Nautical
Almanac," and that I might possibly get employment on that work.
When I saw him again I told him that I had not yet acquired
such a knowledge of physical astronomy as would be necessary for