e
with the Royal Society and the Treasury, and ultimately Sir R. Peel
consented to the continuation of the establishments to the end of
1845.--In this year began my correspondence with Mr Mitchell about the
Cincinnati Observatory. On Aug. 25 Mr Mitchell settled himself at
Greenwich, and worked for a long time in the Computing Room.--And in
this year Mr Aiken of Liverpool first wrote to me about the Liverpool
Observatory, and a great deal of correspondence followed: the plans
were in fact entirely entrusted to me.--July 7th was the day of the
Total Eclipse of the Sun, which I observed with my wife at the
Superga, near Turin. I wrote an account of my observations for the
Royal Astronomical Society.--On Jan. 10th I notified to Mr Goulburn
that our Report on the Restoration of the Standards was ready, and on
Jan. 12th I presented it. After this followed a great deal of
correspondence, principally concerning the collection of authenticated
copies of the Old Standards from all sides.--In some discussions with
Capt. Shirreff, then Captain Superintendent of the Chatham Dockyard,
I suggested that machinery might be made which would saw ship-timbers
to their proper form, and I sent him some plans on Nov. 8th. This was
the beginning of a correspondence which lasted long, but which led to
nothing, as will appear hereafter.--On Dec. 15th, being on a visit to
Dean Peacock at Ely, I examined the Drainage Scoop Wheel at
Prickwillow, and made a Report to him by letter, which obtained
circulation and was well known.--On May 26th the manuscript of my
article, 'Tides and Waves,' for the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana was
sent to the printer. I had extensive correspondence, principally on
local tides, with Whewell and others. Tides were observed for me by
Colby's officers at Southampton, by myself at Christchurch and Poole,
at Ipswich by Ransome's man; and a great series of observations of
Irish Tides were made on my plan under Colby's direction in June, July
and August.--On Sept. 15th Mr Goulburn, Chancellor of the Exchequer,
asked my opinion on the utility of Babbage's calculating machine, and
the propriety of expending further sums of money on it. I replied,
entering fully into the matter, and giving my opinion that it was
worthless.--I was elected an Honorary Member of the Institution of
Civil Engineers, London.

"The reduction and printing of the astronomical observations had been
getting into arrear: the last revise of the 1840 observat