John Tyrrell Baylee

“ The difficulty of ascertaining the horizon with tolerable accuracy is another insurmountable impediment to finding a meridian within the necessary limits. Several days pass, during which the horizon remains undefined, in consequence of clouds, mists, &c.; and even when the firmament is quite clear and the weather calm, the undulations of the sea, the motion of the vessel, the dip of the horizon, &c. are adverse to accuracy of observation; insomuch, that seamen are known frequently to take an average for the dip, and even to lump, as they term it, the dip and the refraction! ”

“ On land, not bordering on the sea, any mode of attempting to ascertain the horizon amounts almost to absurdity. Another obstacle to ascertaining the horizon is parallax, which, though in itself it is ascertainable, admitting the earth to be a perfect sphere, yet as the observation for parallax is necessarily affected by refraction, it must, inevitably, partake of the uncertainty which is always attendant on refraction: other considerations might easily be adduced, but more would appear unnecessary. ”

“ To find the Longitude:—Assume any meridian, R, as a first meridian, and find the time of the culmination of any fixed star, for any day of any year, with respect to the meridian R: the difference between the time so found and the time of the culmination of the same fixed star, for the same day of any year, with respect to any other meridian, S, will give the difference of longitude between the two meridians, R and S. The times of the respective culminations should, for greater accuracy, be found by observation, and not by calculation only. ”

“ Other cases may be adduced; but to every pious mind one general observation is sufficient: these apparent imperfections shew us that this earth is not our abiding place; they lead us to look for help from on high; they call forth the kindly feelings, and teach us mutual dependence, while they counteract the supineness of corrupt nature, and are thus instrumental in conducting man to the end of his creation— to be virtuous and useful. ”

“ The method now in use for ascertaining the meridian of an observer, by the altitudes of any of the celestial bodies above the horizon of that observer, is attended by several impediments, which constitute an insurmountable bar to the accuracy which most observations demand. Every person, however slightly conversant in those subjects, knows, that the refractive powers of any medium is proportionate to its density ”

“ To find the Meridian:—When two, or any number of fixed stars, which have the same right ascension, appear in a right line (or right circle) , and perpendicular to the horizon of any observer, if a right line be drawn on the earth's surface, or on any plane parallel to that horizon, and perpendicular to the line of fixed stars which is then perpendicular to that horizon, the right line so drawn will give, accurately, the meridian line of that observer. ”

“ The unequal motion of the earth in its orbit, and the obliquity of the earth's axis to the sphere of its orbit: the latter of these, the obliquity of the earth's axis, may be understood by viewing the relative position of the equinoctial and the ecliptic on a celestial globe; but the former, the unequal motion of the earth in its orbit, can be discovered only by observations on the sun, or, which is much better, by observations on the fixed stars.
The method now presented is materially different. With the orbits of the fixed stars we are wholly unacquainted ”

“ But the profane sceptic may, in his impious wisdom, ask, "If Omniscience directs the universe, why does imperfection appear!" But as it invariably costs a man more effort to be vicious than to be good, the answer does not require as much labour as the question. Our ideas of organic perfection are merely relative. ”

“ Long and intense application to the phenomena of nature, and in particular to the solar system, led me to suppose, that the noble simplicity, which is observable in the laws which those phenomena obey, did not require much apparatus or abstruse calculus to develop them ”

“ That this method is no way affected by refraction or by parallax is clear; because it does not require any recurrence to the elevation or to the depression of the celestial bodies; and as light moves only in right lines, the position of those bodies can be affected only with respect to their elevation and to their depression by refraction: and the fixed stars, which are the only celestial bodies to which this method has a primary regard, have no sensible parallax. ”

“ Let the phenomena to which those admirable productions are skilfully adapted be well understood, the value of them will then be known, their application will become familiar, and the artists will be stimulated to excel, because they will meet an adequate remuneration. ”

“ The myope may complain of the short focal distance of his eye; while that very circumstance enables him to see minute objects with greater distinctness, and fits him for performing what others dare not undertake, without risking the total loss of sight. ”

“ To find the Time:—When one line, or any number of lines, of fixed stars culminate, that is, come to the meridian, let a good common watch, or watches, be then set as to noon, or twelve o'clock, for each line of stars respectively ”

“ Our corporeal organs being subject to decay, we are obliged to resort to various contrivances to remedy the defects; and it also often happens, that in some persons an original malconformation is exhibited. ”