The famous James Short, well known for his improve ments in the construction of reflecting telescopes, in conjunction with his brother, now attempted to erect the building ; but the progress of the unfortunate observa tory was again intertupted by the death of Mr. Short, which happened in 1768.
About the year 1776. the money, which had accumu lated to 400/., was proposed to be expended in building the observatory, A plan of the intended edifice was de signed by Nit-. Craig, architect, and the foundation stone of the building was laid by Mr. Stodart, Lord Provost or Edinburgh, on the 25th of August, 1776. It stood in this situation for many years, when, in 1792, it was com pleted hy the rnagistrates ; but in a style far inferior to what the utility of such an institution deserved. Being possessed of few instruments, and provided with no funds for procuring any, it remained almost in a ruinous state till 1812, when a more fortunate attempt was made to es tablish an observatory on a respectable footing, by the for mation of an astronotnical institution in Edinburgh. The Astronomical In,titution took its origin frum a few pub lic-spirited individuals, who formed themselves into a society under this title on the 30th of Nlay, 1312 ; and the magistrates gave to the association the ground and buildings on the Calton Hill, formerly destined for an ob servatory, on the condition of their not being applied to any other purpose, at the same time granting a seal of cause, to enable them to hold property, and to enjoy the privileges of a corporation.
The objects of this institution are to establish, 1st, A scientific observatory, furnished with all the instru ments required for the nicest purposes of astronomy. 2d, A popular observatory, furnished with instruments connected with astronomy, of general and easy use, cal culated for students and amateurs ; and also with globes, maps, atlasses, charts, and books, adapted to the pro motion of nautical and geographical science. And, Scl, A physical cabinet, furnished with a complete meteor ological apparatus, and with such other instruments and books as may be deemed useful for the advancement of physical science.
The property of this institution is held in transferable shares of 25 guineas each, which, besides his own ad mission to the popular observatory at all times, entitles a proprietor to introduce a friend, who may also be ad mitted on his written order. The second class of sub sciibers, who pay by annual instalments, have only the right of personal admission. The management is vested
in a council, consisting of a president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and an observer, with 18 directors, six of whom go out annually by rotation.
In pursuance of thcse objects, the directors fitted up the top story of the old building, a little to the west of the original observatory, now taken down, with a camera obscula, which forms the chief object of attraction to visitors; and the room under it contains, among other things, a four feet achromatic telescope by Tulley, sotne smaller ones, and a pair of twenty-one inch globes. The celebrated Troughton was also engaged to make a mural circle of five feet diameter, and a transit instru ment of ten feet, of which the estitnated cost is about 1000 guineas.
The magistrates of Edinburgh having deposited a small transit instrument, which they had procured from Troughton, for regulating the city cloc.ks, in the apart ments of the institution, a room vas erected for its re ception in 1814, in which was also placed an astronomi cal clock, by Mr. Thomas Reid.
The new observatory., a little to the east of the former, was founded on the 25th of Aptil, 1818, by S;r George Mackenzie, Vice-President, in the absence of Professor Play fair. In the foundation stone wele deposited copies of the Edinburgh newspapers, almanack, and current coin of the country, and a platinum plate, on one side of which were engraved the names of the membeis, and on the other this inscription : The observatorv, of which we have given an eleva tion io Plate CCCCXXV. and a ground plan in Fig. 2. is a cross of sixty-two feet, with four projecting pediments of twenty-eight feet each, supported by six columns of the Doric order fronting the four cardinal points. In thc centre is a moi cable dome, thirteen feet in diameter, under which is a pillar of sulid raasonry, of a conical form, six fcct in diameter at the base, and nineteen feet high, intended for a portable astronomical circle, or equatorial, for making observations out of the meridian. To the east are stone piers for the transit in strument and clock ; and in the west end others for the mural circle and clock. All these arc founded upon the solid rock. A small gallery is fornted round the cen tral pillar for the accommodation of the observers, who have also a room in the northern side of the building.