--The First Report of the Commissioners (of whom he
was Chairman) appointed to enquire into the condition of the Exchequer
Standards was printed: this business took up much time.--He was in
this year much engaged on the Coinage Commission.
Of private history: There was the usual winter visit to Playford, and
a short visit to Cambridge in June.--From about Aug. 1st to Sept. 3rd
he was travelling in Switzerland with his youngest son and his two
youngest daughters. In the course of this journey they visited
Zermatt. There had been much rain, the rivers were greatly flooded,
and much mischief was done to the roads. During the journey from Visp
to Zermatt, near St Nicholas, in a steep part of the gorge, a large
stone rolled from the cliffs and knocked their baggage horse over the
lower precipice, a fall of several hundred feet. The packages were all
burst, and many things were lost, but a good deal was recovered by men
suspended by ropes.
In this year also Airy was busy with the subject of University
Examination, which in previous years had occupied so much of his
attention, as will be seen from the following letters:
ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH,
LONDON, S.
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