to any one who should discover a method of determining the longitude to one degree of a great circle, or 60 geographical miles; 15,000L.

if it determined the same to two-thirds of that distance, or 40 geographical miles; and 20,000L.

if it determined the same to one-half of the same distance, or 30 geographical miles.

Commissioners were appointed by the same Act, who were instructed that "one moiety or half part of such reward shall be due and paid when the said commissioners, or the major part of them, do agree that any such method extends to the security of ships within 80 geographical miles of the shore, which are places of the greatest danger; and the other moiety or half part when a ship, by the appointment of the said commissioners, or the major part of them, shall actually sail over the ocean, from Great Britain to any such port in the West Indies as those commissioners, or the major part of them, shall choose or nominate for the experiment, without losing the longitude beyond the limits before mentioned." The terms of this offer indicate how great must have been the risk and inconvenience which it was desired to remedy.

Indeed, it is almost inconceivable that a reward so great could be held out for a method which would merely afford security within eighty geographical miles! This splendid reward for a method of discovering the longitude was offered to the world--to inventors and scientific men of all countries--without restriction of race, or nation, or language.