Ancestry.

CONTENTS

I

THE WORLD of Cold and Darkness

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Squire Thomas Prince. - Parentage. — Early Educa-

tion. Books read...

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1

Π

:

DR. FOSHAY

A Long Journey on Foot.-A Wonderful Doctor. - The Botanic

System of Medicine. - Phrenology. · A Launch into the World.

— A Disillusion. — Life in Maryland. — Acquaintance with Pro-

fessor Henry.-Removal to Cambridge.

III

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THE WORLD OF SWEETNESS AND LIGHT

The American Astronomical Ephemeris.

23

The Men who made it.

-Harvard in the Middle of the Century.-A Librarian of the

Time.-Professor Peirce.- Dr. Gould, the "Astronomical Jour-

nal," and the Dudley Observatory. W. P. G. Bartlett. — John

D. Runkle and the "Mathematical Monthly."- A Mathemati-

cal Politician. -A Trip to Manitoba and a Voyage up the Sas-

katchewan. A Wonderful Star....

IV

LIFE AND WORK AT AN OBSERVATORY

... 62

A Professor, United States Navy. - The Naval Observatory in

1861. Captain Gilliss and his Plans. - Admiral Davis. — A

New Instrument and a New Departure. — Astronomical Activ-

ity. The Question of Observatory Administration. — Visit

from the Emperor of Brazil. - Admiral John Rodgers. -

Efforts to improve the Work of the Observatory.......... 97

V

GREAT TELESCOPES AND THEIR WORK

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Curious Origin of the Great Washington Telescope. - Congress is

induced to act. A Case of Astronomical Fallibility. - The

Discovery of the Satellites of Mars. The Great Telescope of

the Pulkova Observatory.— Alvan Clark and his Sons. - A

Sad Astronomical Accident

....

VI

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THE TRANSITS OF VENUS

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128

Old Transits of Venus. An Astronomical Expedition in the 18th

Century. Father Hell and his Observations. —A Suspected

Forger vindicated. - The American Commission on the Tran-

sit of Venus. The Photographic Method to be applied.-

Garfield and the Appropriation Committee. - Weather Uncer-

tainties. Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope. - The Transit

of 1882. — Our Failure to publish our Observations...... 151

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VII

THE LICK OBSERVATORY

James Lick and bis Ideas. - Mr. D. O. Mills. Plans for the Lick

Observatory. Edward E. Barnard. Professor Holden.

Wonderful Success of the Observatory

VIII

....

THE AUTHOR'S SCIENTIFIC WORK

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182

The Orbits of the Asteroids.-The Problems of Mathematical

Astronomy. The Motion of the Moon and its Perplexing

Inequalities. A Visit to the Paris Observatory to search for

Forgotten Observations. - Wonderful Success in finding Them.

-The Paris Commune. - The History of the Moon's Motion

carried back a Century. The Harvard Observatory. - The

"Nautical Almanac" Office and its Work. - Mr. George W.

Hill and his Work. - A Wonderful Algebraist. — The Meridian

Conference of 1884, and the Question of Universal Time. -

Tables of the Planets completed. The Astronomical Con-

stants.Work unfinished.

IX

SCIENTIFIC WASHINGTON

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Professor Henry and the Smithsonian Institution. - Alumni Asso-

ciations. The Scientific Club.-General Sherman.—Mr. Hugh

McCulloch.-A Forgotten Scientist. The National Academy

of Sciences. The Geological Survey of the Territories. — The

Government Forestry System. - Professor O. C. Marsh. --Sci-

entific Humbugs. - Life on the Plains.

X

SCIENTIFIC ENGLAND

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234

My First Trip to Europe. Mr. Thomas Hughes. - Mr. John

Stuart Mill.-Mr. Gladstone and the Royal Society Dinner.

- Other Eminent Englishmen. - Professors Cayley and Adams.

-Professor Airy and the Greenwich Observatory. - A Visit

to Edinburgh....

tress.

XI

MEN AND THINGS IN EUROPE

271

A Voyage to Gibraltar with Professor Tyndall.-The Great For-

"Whispering Boanerges."— A Winter Voyage in the

Mediterranean.-Malta and Messina. — Advantage of not un-

derstanding a Language.-German Astronomers. - The Pul-

kova Observatory.-A Meeting which might have been Em-

barrassing. From Germany to Paris at the Close of the War.

-Experiences at Paris during the Commune. The Greatest

Astronomer of France. - The Paris Observatory....

XII

THE OLD AND THE NEW WASHINGTON

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.... 302

Washington during the Civil War. - Secretary Stanton. - The

Raid of General Early. - A Presidential Levee in 1864. - The

Fall of Richmond. The Assassination of President Lincoln.

-Negro Traits and Education. - Senator Sumner. - An Am-

bitious Academy. - President Garfield and his Assassination. -

Cooling the White House during his Illness.-The Shepherd

Régime in Washington

...

334

XIII

MISCELLANEA

The Great Star-Catalogue Case. — Professor Peters and the Alma-
gest of Ptolemy. Scientific Cranks.-The Degrees of the
French Universities. - A Virginia Country School. - Political
Economy and Education. Exact Science in America before
the Johns Hopkins University. — Professor Ely and Economics.
-Spiritualism and Psychic Research. The Georgia Magnetic
Girl

372

THE REMINISCENCES OF AN

ASTRONOMER