Several of the scientific discussions, having since been in part made use of elsewhere, are here omitted: the principal of those are entitled, "Cursory Remarks on Comets," "A bit of Astronomical News," "Halley and his Comet,' of the new planet Neptune," &c. Story From what perhaps may be deemed a cacoethes scribendi, I had occasionally written some snatches of fugitive rhyme and various letters on nautical science for the "Naval Chronicle," "Purdy's Nautical Memoirs," and Baron de Zach's Correspondance Astronomique," but my first regular book was launched in January 1824. Since then my pen has not been idle, as the following list of my press-works will testify. They are here placed in chronological order and classified arrangement : Published and Privately Printed Books. 1824. 4to. A Memoir descriptive of the Resources, Inhabitants, and Hydrography of Sicily and its Islands, interspersed with antiquarian and other notices. London: Murray.-This was published while I was again abroad on service; and it was kindly pulled through the press by my excellent friend William Jacob, Esq., F.R.S. As the work may possibly yet be referred to, it is as well to notice two or three errors that were overlooked in the correction : Page 4. "The highest barometrical index I have observed in very severe weather," should have been serene. Page 22. The tunny-nets "mooved east and west," ought to have been moored. Page 83. "Force on them a monstrous kind of anarchy, a sort of monarchy without a head, or a republic without a king." This should be a republic with a king. Page 211. "As in the conquest of the Erymanthean War," was written Erymanthean Boar. This volume, of which the Admiralty subscribed for 100 copies, was favourably noticed in various reviews. Critics, however, are somehow allowed to pull a book to rags, and "nothing extenuate," while they refrain from impugning the author's private character, without a tittle of evidence to warrant their malicious attacks. But in the "Monthly Review" for July 1824, page 232, it is written : The religion of the country, its festivals, its ceremonies, its clergy, and its monastic orders, have been so often described, that we must wholly pass over Captain Smyth's remarks on that important head. He notices also the striking analogy between the Pagan and Roman Catholic polytheisms but he has evidently availed himself of the elegant and valuable treatise of Mr. Blunt, —an obligation which might have been repaid by an acknowledgment. : No sooner did Mr. Jacob read this unjustifiable assertion, than he addressed the following letter to the editor of the said Review: I beg to state to you, that Captain Smyth left England in June, 1821, and on his voyage to the object of his present expedition, reduced the materials he had formerly collected, into the form in which they are now before the public. The manuscript was conveyed to me in November or December, 1821, and remained in my hands till it was committed to the press. It is thus impossible that Mr. Blunt's book, published in December, 1822, whatever may be its merits, could have been seen by my friend Smyth when he wrote his own. Such an assurance from a well-known man of honour and integrity, ought to have produced an expression of regret in the editor, for having admitted so unfounded an attack into his pages. But no, in the very next number of his periodical the gentleman thus prevaricates : We spoke on this subject according to the evidence (?) then before us, and we now give to our readers the above additional testimony. In the absence of our coadjutor, who wrote the article on Captain Smyth's book, and who is now at a great distance, we cannot add any further observation. 1828. Sketch of the Present State of the Island of Sardinia. 8vo. London. Murray. -This book escaped pretty well from the critical tomahawk; though a heavy compiler thought it resembled La Marmora's work on the same Island; from whence it may be safely opined that he had read neither. It would not be strange, however, that two works on the same subject, at the same time, by two officers in constant communication with each other, should bear a similitude. 1829. The Life and Services of Captain Philip Beaver, late of His Majesty's Ship "Nisus." Svo. London. Murray.-This book was very fairly treated by the reviewers. My object in writing it was, to hold up to our juniors the conduct of a consummate officer, as well as to commemorate his worth in our naval records. For this purpose I was favoured by his sister, the late Mrs. Gillies, with an accumulation of his logs and correspondence. 1834. Descriptive Catalogue of a Cabinet of Roman Imperial Large-Brass Medals. 4to. Bedford: Webb. Privately Printed.-This "labour of love" was warmly greeted, not by antiquaries only; and I was strongly urged to publish it. At length I told Messrs. Hawkins and Barnwell, of the medal department of the British Museum, that, if they could find a publisher who would engrave all the coins to my satisfaction, I would present the book to him. In Mr. Hobler's Records of Roman History (page 234,) is a passage worded thus-"The Domitia in Admiral Smyth's cabinet I need only mention for the purpose of saying, without any the least disrespect to him, that it certainly is not genuine." Now, lest any one should imagine that this implied my having vamped a spurious coin, it is proper to show the ipsissima verba which were printed a quarter of a century before these Records appeared. For in my Catalogue, page 74, it is written-" In saying that this rare medal is in perfect condition, I cannot entirely omit my doubts as to its being really genuine. Indeed, I may say with Eckhel that it has not the look of antiquity; a vexatious Patavinity interferes with its apparent purity of legend, edge, and other usual tests, and recalls to mind the fraudulent brothers who headed the falsarii of the XVI. century." Last spring I was unexpectedly complimented with the following official document, dated Hartwell House, April 29th, 1863 : At a meeting of the Council of the Numismatic Society assembled on the invitation of John Lee, Esq. LL.D., F.R.S., President of the Astronomical Society, it was moved by W. Boyne, Esq, F.S.A., and seconded by J. B. Bergne, Esq. F.S.A., and John Lee, Esq. LL.D. I. That a vote of thanks be given to Admiral W. H. Smyth, F.R.S., &c. &c. for his excellent work on 66 Large-brass Roman Coins;" being a detailed catalogue of a cabinet now belonging to Dr. Lee-a work in its character unique, in that it, alone of numismatic memoirs, combines a scientific description of each coin, with historical and interesting notices of the various personages commemorated on them. II. That an expression of the pleasure the Council have had in examining the valuable collection be conveyed to Admiral W. H. Smyth, with the hopes that a life, so long and so usefully devoted to many branches of scientific research, may long be spared. 1810. W. S. W. VAUX, President Num. Soc. Nautical Observations on the Port and Maritime Vicinity of Cardiff, with Occasional Strictures on the Ninth Report of the Taff Vale Railway Directors. Cardiff. Privately Printed.-In this book is detailed the origin of the now flourishing Bute Docks; and it was written to repel certain insinuations made by the Railway Directors, who were desirous of getting that goodly float under their sway. Now, as I had advised the Marquis of Bute where to excavate for his harbour, and was afterwards badgered for two days before a Committee of the House of Commons, on desperately slight pretences, it became due to the public to circulate this statement. It is a pleasure to add, that all my predictions of success are fully verified, as may be concluded by the remarkable increase of the population in that town. These are the census returns:- and now estimated at upwards of 46,000, with ample employment for all! 1844. A Cycle of Celestial Objects, for the use of Naval, Military, and private Astronomers. Observed, Reduced, and Discussed by W. H. S. 2 vols. 8vo. London: Parker. The first volume is intituled Prolegomena, or preliminary discourses to freshen the tyro in the history and progress of this exalted science; besides the treatment of some practical matters worth knowing. The second volume is designated the Bedford Catalogue, as it contains all the results which I deduced at Bedford, from nebulæ, clusters, double stars, and binaries, to the amount of 850. This publication, to which I devoted some years, was really undertaken in aid of the "bookless" amateurs in ships, garrisons, or gazebos; but it has also crept into the standard observatories of Europe and America. It obtained the gold Newtonian medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1845. After this work had been some time out of print, various letters, from various quarters, came dropping in calling for a second edition of it; and copies were repeatedly advertised for. At length an earnest letter appeared in the Astronomical Register, which I thought required an answer; and therefore replied to the editor as follows: SIR, In reply to your correspondent X.Y.Z., (page 112 of No. 7,) and in answer to various inquiries as to my Cycle of Celestial Objects, I am happy to announce that another edition of the work is in preparation, by a very capable and experienced friend. This gentleman is first reexamining all the stars and nebula contained in the Cycle, with a powerful achromatic telescope of 9 inches aperture, most efficiently mounted, as a necessary prelude to printing. The proposed work will also embody the later observations contained in the Speculum Hartwellianum. W. H. SMYTH. I am, Sir, &c., St. John's Lodge, 3, 7, 63. In the next number of the said Register, the following question was asked, which, as weather and occupations are involved, cannot yet be replied to: SIR, THE BEDFORD CATALOGUE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ASTRONOMICAL REGISTER. Admiral Smyth's letter in the last number of your publication must, I am sure, have aroused a feeling of unmixed pleasure in the minds of all professional as well as amateur astronomers; his statement also, that the observations contained in the Speculum Hartwellianum are to be embodied in the new edition of the Bedford Catalogue, will add not a little to the desire universally felt for the possession of a copy of this new issue. I must acknowledge that a feeling of excitement, akin to impatience, has been awakened in me by the perusal of Admiral Smyth's letter, and I hope he will confer on us a further favour by informing us when we may expect the re-publication of a work which has already been so much approved. I remain, Sir, obediently yours, W. G. Liverpool, August 12, 1863. 1851. Edes Hartwelliana, or Notices of the Manor and Mansion of Hartwell. 4to. London. Nichols. Privately printed. The origin of this book is unfolded in the introductory letter to Dr. Lee, commencing "Few people will be more surprised than yourself, on opening these pages, at the miscellany here compounded. It is true that you were informed that my object was to indite an account of the Hartwell observatory; but it became impossible to draw that up without vivid recollections of a mansion in which the writer has passed so many, and he hopes useful, hours, and of an estate to which he has been so many years a trustee, under Act of Parliament." The description was consequently at my own discretion. On the whole this work was mildly reviewed by the Plural Units, and very favourably received, both by topographers and astronomers. 1854. The Mediterranean-A Memoir Physical, Historical, and Nautical. Sro. London. Parker and Son.-To this book the Royal Geographical Society's gold medal was awarded; also it was recognised with favour by the naval community and the reviewers as a good production. Indeed, when out of print, the hydrographer to the Admiralty, Rear-Admiral Washington, was about bringing out a new edition expressly for the Board; but he sickened and died, and the affair stands over. Meanwhile a German translation, by Dr. C. Böttger, appeared, under the title of "Das Mittelmeer," also styled physical, historical, and nautical: and thus he argufies in his preface, pour jeter de la poudre aux yeux— |