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From "The Quarterly Journal", 1820:
"The son of an illustrious statesman, now a young midshipman, is said to have 
astonished his shipmates, by working out, the correction of a lunar 
observation, unassisted by books or instruments of any kind. It is right that 
so brilliant an exhibition of mathematical talent should be recorded with 
some degree of authenticity, as well for the honour of the individual, as for 
the credit of the Naval Academy at Portsmouth, through which this Nelson or 
Newton in embryo has passed, without favour, in less than half the regular 
time. But it is not to be expected that such a method of correction will 
become very universal, even in the British navy, and we must therefore be 
contented to examine some of the processes adapted to humbler capacities."

Ah, but I wonder if this 'son of an illustrious statesman' had discovered the 
"trig-free" lunar clearing method, applicable in many common cases, that I 
described early last summer... Go here if you need a reminder: 
http://www.fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=105622

The article in "The Quarterly Journal" goes on to describe some other methods 
of clearing lunars including methods by construction with dividers and 
straight-edge as well as a standard sampling of the logarithmic methods. He 
also adds this fun note about the very large tables known variously as 
"Shepherd's Tables" of the "Cambridge Tables":
"By Shepherd's Tables.
The great Tables of Corrections, published, at no small expense, by the Board 
of Longitude, have been so little in request, that the greater part of the 
impression is said to have been condemned to be sold for waste paper."

Whether they were actually condemned in that fashion or not, it's certainly a condemning review.

-FER





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