In 1834 I
volunteered to the Admiralty to prepare a new edition, and received
their thanks and their authority for proceeding. It required a great
deal of examination of details, and much time was spent on it in 1836:
but it was not brought to the state of readiness for press.
"My predecessor, Mr Pond, died on Sept. 7th 1836, and was interred in
Halley's tomb in Lee churchyard."
* * * * *
The following letter was written by Airy in support of the application
for a pension to Mrs Pond, who had been left in great distress:
To HENRY WARBURTON, ESQ.
"The points upon which in my opinion Mr Pond's claims to the gratitude
of Astronomers are founded, are principally the following. _First_
and chief, the accuracy which he introduced into all the principal
observations. This is a thing which from its nature it is extremely
difficult to estimate now, so long after the change has been made, and
I can only say that so far as I can ascertain from books the change is
one of very great extent: for certainty and accuracy, Astronomy is
quite a different thing from what it was, and this is mainly due to Mr
Pond. The most striking exemplification of this is in his laborious
working out of every conceivable cause or indication of error in the
Circle and the two Circles: but very great praise is also due for the
new system which he introduced in working the Transit.
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