Thus becoming famous for his elegant talents in vriting, he was requested to compose an apology for the unfortunate affair at Preston-Pans in Scotland. This was added as a preface to the report of the proceedings and opinion of the board of general officers, on their examination into the conduct of Lieutenant General Sir John Cope, &c. printed at London in 1749; and this preface was esteemed a master-piece of its kind.
Robins had afterwards, by the favour of Lord Anson, opportunities of making further experiments in gunnery ; which have been published since his death, in the edition of his works by his friend Dr. Wilson. He also not a little contributed to the improvements made in the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, by procuring for it, through the interest of the same noble person, a second mural quadrant, and other instruments ; by which it be came perhaps the completest observatory of any in the world.
His reputation being now arrived at its full height, he was offered the choice of two very considerable employments. The
first was, to go to Paris as one of the com missaries for adjusting the limits in Aca dia ; the other to be engineer general to the East India Company, whose forts be ing in a most ruinous condition, wanted an able person to put them into a proper state of defence. He accepted the lat ter, as it was suitable to his genius, and as the Company's terms were both ad vantageous and honourable.
He designed, if he had remained in England, to have written a second part of the voyage round the world, as ap pears by a letter from Lord Anson, to him, dated Bath, October 22, 1749, as follows.
" Dear Sir, when I last saw you in town, I forgot to ask you, whether you intended to publish the second volume of my voyage before you leave us ; which I confess I am very sorry for. If you should have laid aside all thoughts of favouring the world with more of your works, it will be much disappointed, and no one in it more than your very obliged humble servant,