Page:Memoirs of a Trait in the Character of George III.djvu/154

NO. 1. then remained in my hands, all taken to pieces: I little imagined the Board of Longitude would take it from me, as not conceiving any use they could make of it: and having besides received assurances from them, that they only wanted the formal delivery of it, in compliance with the terms of the new law, without meaning to deprive me of the use of it: I therefore went on making some experiments, and altered the rate of its going, thereby to determine a fact I wanted to be satisfied about. The Watch was under this experiment the latter end of October, 1765, when upon receiving the Certificate for the remainder of the first moiety of my reward, I was ordered to deliver it to the Board. My Son, attending with it, being asked if it was then as fit as before to ascertain the Longitude, replied in the affirmative; for as I have before shewn, the rate of its going, when once ascertained, does not prevent its keeping the Longitude. He was not asked the present rate of its going, nor could he have answered with precision if he had, because we had not had notice sufficient to determine that point; but we did, at that time, tell several of our friends that it went about eighteen or nineteen seconds a day, fast, and we have at several times since (without ever dreaming that this was to become a point of public discussion) had occasion to mention the same thing to several Members of Parliament, Commissioners of Longitude and other Gentlemen, insomuch that we did not believe any