It soon
appeared that this could scarcely be done except by astronomical
operations. Lord Canning, Under Secretary of the Foreign Office,
requested me to nominate two astronomers to undertake the work. I
strongly recommended that Military Officers should carry out the work,
and Capt. Robinson and Lieut. Pipon were detached for this service. On
Mar. 1st they took lodgings at Greenwich, and worked at the
Observatory every day and night through the month. My detailed
astronomical instructions to them were drawn out on Mar. 29th. I
prepared all the necessary skeleton forms, &c., and looked to their
scientific equipment in every way. The result will be given in 1844.
"Of private history: In January I went to Dover with my wife to see
the blasting of a cliff there: we also visited Sir J. Herschel at
Hawkhurst. In April I was at Playford, on a visit to Arthur
Biddell. On Apr. 9th my daughter Annot was born. From July 22nd to
August 25th I was travelling in the South of Ireland, chiefly to see
Valencia and consider the question of determining its longitude:
during this journey I visited Lord Rosse at Birr Castle, and returned
to Weymouth, where my family were staying at the time. In October I
visited Cambridge, and in December I was again at Playford.
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