cate Reports except for 1833 (when perhaps there
was none). It seems from these that my first written Report on
Observations, &c., was on May 30th, 1834. The first Syndicate Report
is on May 25th, 1829."

* * * * *

A few remarks on Airy's private life and friends during his residence
at Cambridge Observatory may be here appropriately inserted.

Amid the laborious occupations recorded in the foregoing pages, his
social life and surroundings appear to have been most pleasant and
congenial. At that period there were in residence in Cambridge, and
particularly at Trinity, a large number of very brilliant men. Airy
was essentially a Cambridge man. He had come up poor and friendless:
he had gained friends and fame at the University, and his whole work
had been done there. From the frequent references in after times both
by him and his wife to their life at Cambridge, it is clear that they
had a very pleasant recollection of it, and that the social gatherings
there were remarkably attractive. He has himself recorded that with
Whewell and Sedgwick, and his accomplished sisters-in-law, who were
frequently on long visits at the Observatory, they formed pretty
nearly one family.

His friendship with Whewell was very close. Although Whewell was at
times hasty, and rough-mannered, and even extremely rude, yet he was
generous and large-minded, and thoroughly upright. [Footnote: The
following passage occurs in a letter from Airy to his wife, dated
1845, Sept. 17th: "I am sorry that ---- speaks in such terms of the
'Grand Master,' as she used to be so proud of him: it is only those
who have _well_ gone through the ordeal of quarrels with him and
almost insults from him, like Sheepshanks and me, that thoroughly
appreciate the good that is in him: I am sure he will never want a
good word from me."] In power of mind, in pursuits, and interests,
Airy had more in common with Whewell than with any other of his
friends. It was with Whewell that he undertook the experiments at
Dolcoath: it was to Whewell that he first communicated the result of
his remarkable investigation of the Long Inequality of Venus and the
Earth; and some of his Optical researches were conducted jointly with
Whewell. Whewell took his degree in 1816, seven years before Airy, and
his reputation, both for mathematical and all-round knowledge, was
extremely and deservedly great, but he was always most generous in his
recognition of Airy'