Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/48

 32 HISTORY OF THE [1820-30 house in England. It also appears that during his voyage he gave formal notice of his intention to apply for the privileges of citizen- ship, with a view to take up his permanent residence in the United States " (M.N., 14, 112), but fortunately for us nothing came of this. On his return to England he seems for a year or two to have contemplated a life of travel and adventure, and we must admit that he had good qualifications which seem to have been shared by other members of his family. Two of his nieces were the first ladies to make the journey up the Nile to the second cataract above Wady Haifa, and one of them, Miss Ann Louisa Baily,* survived to the age of 100 (on 1917 January 17). Again, for- tunately for us, these plans came to nothing, and about the end of 1799 he was taken into partnership by Mr. Whitmore of the Stock Exchange. He meant so much to us that the temptation to linger with him is strong ; but reluctantly we must pass on, referring those interested to Sir John Herschel's eloge, with the supplement by De Morgan in M.N., 14, 112. The beautiful bust which stands near the staircase of the R.A.S. rooms is the work of Edward Hodges Baily, and was presented to the Society by Miss Baily, the surviving sister of Francis Baily, on 1849 February 9 (M.JV., 9, 53)- His younger brother, Arthur Baily, was also an original member of our Society, but is a rather shadowy figure. He was born " about 1787 " (the birthday of Francis is known exactly as 1774 April 28), and died on 1858 July 8. For two years he was Treasurer of the R.A.S. Club, but his enthusiasm seems to have been chiefly reflected from his brother. It is scarcely necessary to say anything here of the Herschels or of Babbage and of the remaining original members. Sir James South will appear later, since he became so conspicuous when the Charter was applied for. But a word may be said of Peter Slawin- ski, a Pole who happened to be in England for some years, and is included in the original list as a Fellow, but may perhaps more appropriately be regarded as our first Foreign Associate. He was appointed Director of the Vilna Observatory in 1825, but he took a part in our early meetings and presented a medal of Copernicus to the Society, which we still have (in the safe). The following extract from the Bulletin de V Observatoire de Vilno, 1921, gives a glimpse of him : had the rare pleasure of an interview with this fine old lady on 1917 July 4 ; and to his delight was presented by her with a copy of Francis Baily's Journal, which had belonged to her sister, Emily (her companion on the Nile voyage). She was alert about the war. She " did not want us to kill the Kaiser ; but she would not much mind if his own people killed him." She died at Esher on 1917 October 23.
 * By the kindness first of Mr Hollis and then of Mr B. E. Day, the writer