“There had been no lectures on Experimental Philosophy (Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Optics) for many years.  The University in general, I believe, looked with great satisfaction to my vigorous beginning:  still there was considerable difficulty about it.  There was no understood term for the Lectures:  no understood hour of the day:  no understood lecture room.  I began this year in the Lent Term, but in all subsequent years I took the Easter Term, mainly for the chance of sunlight for the optical experiments, which I soon made important.  I could get no room but a private or retiring room (not a regular lecture room) in the buildings at the old Botanic Garden:  in following years I had the room under the University Library.  The Lectures commenced on some day in February 1827:  I think that the number who attended them was about 64.  I remember very well that the matter which I had prepared as an Introductory Lecture did not last above half the time that I had expected, but I managed very well to fill up the hour.  On another occasion I was so ill-prepared that I had contemplated giving notice that I was unable to complete the hour’s lecture, but I saw in the front row some strangers, introduced by some of my regular attendants, very busy in taking notes, and as it was evident that a break-down now would not do, I silently exerted myself to think of something, and made a very good lecture.

“On Mar. 1st, as official examiner, I received notices from 14 candidates for Bell’s Scholarships, and prepared my Paper of questions.  I do not remember my day of examination; but I had all the answers to all the examiners’ questions in my hands, when on Mar. 27th I received notice that my father had died the preceding evening.  This stopped my Lectures:  they were concluded in the next term.  I think that I had only Mechanics and imperfect Optics this term, no Hydrostatics; and that the resumed Lectures were principally Optical.  They terminated about May 14th.

“With my brother I at once went to Bury to attend my father’s funeral.  He was buried on Mar. 31st, 1827, in the churchyard of Little Whelnetham, on the north side of the church.  Shortly afterwards I went to London, and on Apr. 5th I attended a meeting of the Board of Longitude, at which Herschel produced a Paper regarding improvements of the Nautical Almanac.  Herschel and I were in fact the leaders of the reforming party in the Board of Longitude:  Dr Young the Secretary resisted change as much as possible.  After the meeting I went to Cambridge.  I find then calculations of achromatic eye-pieces for a very nice model with silk threads of various colours which I made with my own hands for my optical lectures.