Verification and Extension of La Caille's Arc of Meridian at The Cape of Good Hope - 2 Volumes

Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 1866. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. Two volumes (complete). A sturdy, sound set. From the library of Robert Gray, once Bishop and Archbishop of Cape Town. The first free page is beautifully and carefully inscribed: "Presented by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the Right Reverend Robert Gray DD Lord Bishop of Cape Town & Metropolitan Bishop's Court". Gray was one of the most influential and significant of clergyman in the history of South Africa. He was the first Anglican bishop, he founded the famous 'Bishops' school, he recommended the subdivision of the Diocese (a consequence of which was the open path for Bishop Colenso in Natal) among other achievements. This is one of the MOST important books of astronomy. Maclear, in charge of the Observatory at the Cape, reviewed La Caille's calculations of the longitude of Cape Town. These calculations appeared to show the planet was pear shaped. Maclear, in this book, found La Caille's errors and was able to prove, for the first time conclusively, that the Earth was round. Volume I: Identification of La Caille's Stations, and Comparison of the Ancient and Modern Measures; Description of the Modern Geodetic and Astronomical Instruments; Geodetic Operations for the Extension of the Arc; Abstract of the Astronomical Operations. Volume II: Astronomical Observations in the Extension of the Arc; Reduction of the Observations; Calculations of the Amplitudes; Elements of the Stars Observed. Both books have, at some stage, been rebound. Consequently both have newer end papers. The dusk-blue boards of both books have wear about all edges and corners from storage, shelving. They have scuffing and some handling rubbing and marks. They are sound and hale. In Volume I pp. to 81 (including diagrams) have tide stain marks from storage conditions. Page 81 has wear about the edges from storage. Later on pp 603-end have storage stains, marks and wear. There are, in between, casual and very shallow creases from use. The bulk of the contents are clean, clear, orderly, neat. Volume II: pp beginning-16 have storage marks, wear, some tanning. Page 2 has a handwritten correction. Pp. 395 to end have storage marks, very mild tanning. The final page has handwritten annotations (possibly by Gray but unlikely). Otherwise, the pages are clean, clear, tight, confident, certain, diligent, assured, pleasing. An agreeable set of these historic books. fk. Our orders are shipped using tracked courier delivery services.