“On Jan. 2nd, 1827, I came from London to Bury.  I found my father in a very declining state (the painful rheumatism of some years had changed to ulcerations of the legs, and he was otherwise helpless and had distressing hallucinations).  On Jan. 8th I walked to Cambridge.  At both places I was occupied in preparations for the Smith’s Prize Examination and for lectures (for the latter I obtained at Bury gaol some numerical results about tread-mills).

“Of the Smith’s Prize I was officially an Examiner:  and I determined to begin with—–­what had never been done before—­making the examination public, by printing the papers of questions.  The Prize is the highest Mathematical honour in the University:  the competitors are incepting Bachelors of Arts after the examination for that Degree.  My day of examination (apparently) was Jan. 21st.  The candidates were Turner, Cankrein, Cleasby, and Mr Gordon.  The first three had been my private pupils:  Mr Gordon was a Fellow-commoner of St Peter’s College, and had just passed the B.A. examination as Senior Wrangler, Turner being second.  My situation as Examiner was rather a delicate one, and the more so as, when I came to examine the papers of answers, Turner appeared distinctly the first.  Late at night I carried the papers to Whewell’s rooms, and he on inspection agreed with me.  The other examiners (Professors Lax and Woodhouse, Lowndean and Plumian Professors) generally supported me:  and Turner had the honour of First Smith’s Prize.

“On Jan. 30th my mother wrote, asking if I could see Cropley in London, where he was imprisoned for contempt of Chancery.  I attended the meeting of the Board of Longitude on Feb. 1st, and afterwards visited Cropley in the Fleet Prison.  He died there, some time later.  It was by the sale of his effects under execution that my father’s debt was paid.

“On Feb. 15th I communicated to the Royal Society a Paper on the correction of the Solar Tables from South’s observations.  I believe that I had alluded to this at the February meeting of the Board of Longitude, and that in consequence Mr Pond, the Astronomer Royal, had been requested to prepare the errors of the Sun’s place from the Greenwich observations:  which were supplied some months later.  With the exception of South’s Solar Errors, and some investigations about dipping-needles, I do not find anything going on but matters connected with my approaching lectures.  There are bridges, trusses, and other mechanical matters, theoretical and practical, without end.  Several tradesmen in Cambridge and London were well employed.  On Feb. 13th I have a letter from Cubitt about groins:  I remember studying those of the Custom-house and other places.  On Feb. 20th my Syllabus of Lectures was finished:  this in subsequent years was greatly improved.  I applied to the Royal Society for the loan of Huyghens’s object-glass, but they declined to lend it.  About this time I find observations of the spectrum of Sirius.