Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 47.djvu/706

690 comet from various stars, determined the latitude and longitude by lunar distances and eclipses of the sun and moon, occurring about the same time, and the variation of the magnetic needle. Several months of study were required to reduce these observations; and as tables were wanting, he was compelled to calculate elements that the modern astronomer finds ready to his hand. The results of this work were published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in a paper by General Epaphras Hoyt, the conclusions of the uncle and nephew being combined in a longitude determination. 4. In making these calculations use was made of the Nautical Almanac, then published by Edmund M. Blunt, of New York (reprinted from the standard English publication). Errors would hardly be looked for in such a work, but beneath the opening page for every month was this sentence: "Ten dollars will be paid on the discovery of an error in the figures." Young Hitchcock soon discovered a long list of errors, both in the figures and the text, and sent it to Mr. Blunt, who answered evasively. The list was then published in the American Monthly Magazine, which called out Mr. Blunt in a statement commencing, "Noticing an attack on my Nautical Almanac from one Edward Hitchcock, a few remarks only are necessary to explain the man's drift." He represented the errors as occurring in a part of the work used chiefly by astronomers, and added, "I would rather ten errors should escape me there than one by which the mariner should be deceived." Before this answer had been seen, Hitchcock had forwarded to the magazine a list of twenty errors in the tables of lunar distances, which were serious, because of their magnitude and their use by sailors. Six months later another list of thirty-five errors from these almanacs for 1815, 1816, 1817, and 1818 made its appearance. This led Mr. Blunt to employ a mathematician to recalculate the almanac for 1819, and in his preface to state that "it will afford much satisfaction and promote commercial advantages if, on discovery of an error in any nautical work, publicity should immediately be made." A copy was sent to Hitchcock, who soon made out a list of thirty-five errors, and forwarded them to the magazine. Mr. Blunt did not send the pecuniary reward promised, but published the statement that "the communication of Mr. Hitchcock deserves notice, and he is entitled to much credit for his perseverance." It was a great triumph for a young man to sustain himself against these standard astronomical tables. The most rigid accuracy was indispensable, and the discipline fully equal to that acquired by years of scholastic training. 5. A related discipline came from the publication of a Country Almanac from 1814 to 1818, whose calculations were original. Here also accuracy was essential to success. No complaint was ever made, except in the assignment of Easter to an