Original subtitles

On a Wednesday excursion, when I was a little girl,

my father bought me a beaded wire ball that I loved.

Its hinged wires traced the same pattern of intersecting circles

that I had seen on the globe in my school room;

the thin black lines of latitude and longitude.

As we strode up Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center,

with me on his shoulders,

I remember we stopped to stare at the statue of Atlas,

carrying Heaven and Earth on his.

The bronze orb that Atlas held aloft,

like the wire toy in my hands,

was a see-through world, defined by imaginary lines.

Even as a child, I could recognise,

in the graph-paper grid imposed on the globe,

the powerful symbol of all the real lands and waters on the planet.

Lines of latitude and longitude remain fixed as the world changes beneath them,

with national boundaries repeatedly redrawn by war or peace.

LONGTITUDE

Any sailor worth his salt

can gauge his latitude well enough by the length of the day,

or by the height of the sun.

However, to learn one's longitude at sea,

you need to know what time it is aboard ship, and also the time at your home port.

Every four- minute difference between the two times indicates one degree, east or west, of longitude.

This information, so easily accessible today, from any pair of cheap wristwatches,

was utterly unattainable during most of human history.

On the 22nd October 1707,

Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell summoned the captains of the British fleet

to his flagship, The Association.

That morning, he had ordered the execution of an able seaman.

The navigation of His Majesty's ships is the sole concern of His Majesty's officers.

The crime was keeping a private reckoning of the ship's position

and publicly disputing the admiral's calculation.

...ball of bloody twine,

every damned instrument in the possession of any seaman

on any ship under my command confiscated.

Any further questioning of our position will be treated as an act of mutiny

and dealt with accordingly.

Is that clear?

Now, by my reckoning,

we are here,

30 miles off the coast of Brittany.

Gentlemen, what are your figures?

- 30 miles the Romney, sir. - Captain Ainsley?

Er, the same, sir.

And where did the late Able Seaman Marston put us, Captain?

- Here, sir. - 90 bloody miles away!

In the lsles of Scilly!

Leave it. He gets upset if you move it.

So, go on, then.

No, I did not! Well, not exactly.

What does "not exactly" mean?

Well, I couldn't just leave it like that, could I?

Can he hear us?

Well, he can't speak, so even if he can, he can't tell anyone, can he?

Lieutenant Gould, your reflexes are normal.

There's no damage to your vocal chords.

You can speak... if you choose to.

For God's sake, you're not like the others out there.

You're an officer in His Majesty's navy.

Four years' service, exemplary record,

you're expected to set an example.

Broken, I'm afraid.

I keep meaning to get it fixed.

Fiddly bloody things, aren't they?

I think I'll stick to human beings.

Honourable members, who mourned with us,

the recent tragic loss, off the Scilly lsles,

of four of Her Majesty's ships and 2,000 wretched souls therein,

under the command of Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell,

will be pleased to know that Her Majesty's government

ls to offer a reward.

A prize of 20,000 pound,

to any man offering a practicable and useful solution

to the problem of finding longitude at sea.

A Board of Longitude will be set up,

whose sole business will be

to investigate any serious suggestion

and, finally, it is profoundly to be hoped,

to award this prize.

* ... his praise forth tell *

* Come ye before him and rejoice *

Thank you, gentlemen. Much better.

I'll see you all on Sunday.

William, wait here.

- What do you think, Sir Charles? - Extraordinary.

Could you hear the difference?

Mr Harrison, does it matter?

The sound was beautiful.

Could you spare me a moment, sir?

- Of course. - It's not just beautiful, it's divine.

That's where the beauty lies, you see.

Each note on the scale is calculated by a mathematical formula,

based on the circumference of a circle, you see?

Er... almost.

The step between each note is composed of larger and lesser intervals,

each derived from pi.

It is divine, because, for the first time, we are listening to music as the Lord intended.

Two grasshoppers' meets.

Three grasshoppers' meets.

Four grasshoppers' meets.

- Cecil! - Oh, leave him darling.

He's been in the car for ages. It's a long journey for a little boy.

- Cecil! - Especially to look at a silly- billy old clock.

Oh, is that my stable yard clock?

- Yes. It's being adjusted. - Does it work, then?

I have it to under five seconds a month.

But that's absurd!

Sir Charles, if we had funds to produce a small pamphlet,

I've already prepared an outline of the text.

Inexpensively printed, it could be made available to every village choir in the country.

We showed it to an American gentleman last summer.

He seemed rather disappointed when he saw it, as I recall.

These partitions wouldn't have been here in Harrison's time, of course.

He probably did some work on the panelling.

He was a carpenter by trade, you see.

Yes, I know.

This way.

How can you tell if a clock is running five seconds faster or slower?

My own pendulum clock is adjusted to one second a month.

- No clock could be that accurate. - Mine can.

John John, what are you doing?

- Good day, Mrs Harrison. - Sir Charles.

Sir Charles was asking about the choir.

Where's William?

Oh, dear.

Look how it just touches the wheel,

hardly using any energy.

- It's named after an insect. - The grasshopper escapement.

It's funny.

It's 200 years old,

built before Nelson was born.

- And can you see what it's made of? - Wheels.

Wood.

It's made of wood.

Darling, we're going to be late, and Jocelyn's starving.

If you close that door, I'll close this one.

William.

What did he say?

He said he'd think about it.

In you get.

- Is it accurate? - Well, it wouldn't be there otherwise, would it?

No, I suppose not.

It doesn't need oil, you see. The wooden bearings just lubricate themselves.

You just wind it and walk away.

- Oh, very good. - Thank you, sir.

I just hope you're not thinking of giving up your regular work.

- I've got three farms to build this spring. - No, sir.

So it's not true what I hear about you wanting to build a clock that you can use at sea?

Impossible, sir. A clock needs a pendulum. You can't take a pendulum to sea.

- Not like you to say impossible, John. - No, sir.

So that's it? A wooden clock, that's his claim to fame?

It was the first accurate clock ever built.

That's certainly one claim, but not the most important.

It's the sea clocks, they're the masterpieces.

And where are they? John O'Groats?

I don't know. I've never seen them.

Greenwich, I suppose.

- Am I keeping you awake? - You are, not the music.

You've made up your mind, haven't you?

No.

You mean you're not going?

- Not going where? - To London.

I didn't say that.

You've found a way to build this sea clock, haven't you?

With God's help, it might be possible.

I mean, why did he encourage me to build a perfect timepiece in the first place?

So the blacksmith might start work five seconds earlier or later?

Or was it to give us the ability to explore his creation in safety,

to move without fear in the space he's given us to inhabit?

London is no place for a boy.

Don't worry, he's old enough,

and he'll be company.

Take James if it's company you need.

No. I need James to stay here in the workshop if we're to eat.

Besides, it's for William I'm doing all this.

20,000 pound...

He'll be a gentleman.

What does he need with money?

- I wonder if you could... - No parlo lnglese. Scusi.

At midnight precisely, a rocket would be fired 3,000 feet in the air.

From each barge, moored at intervals of ten miles, thus!

- Did you say moored? - Yes, sir.

The Atlantic ocean is no more than two leagues deep at any point.

Sailors over distances of several miles would be able to observe the rocket

at precisely midnight, London time,

and, knowing both London time and the time aboard ship...

Er... excuse me.

...they calculate their longitude position simply and safely.

How many of these barges do you propose?

Um...

600. Approximately.

And who, exactly, is to fire these rockets?

Her Majesty's navy,

or, in time of war, patriotic citizenry.

Anybody prepared, in fact, to live on a stationary barge in the middle of nowhere 365 days a year.

And how, exactly, would these men be fed?

Well, sir...

provisioning ships would need to visit the barges on a regular basis.

Now, you wait here, while I go in to see Doctor Halley.

I think it went quite well.

Now, it is vital to my process, Sir Edmund,

...that each dog be wounded with the same knife...

as these three animals have been, under my instructions, some three days ago.

Now, the animals are then to be conveyed aboard one of His Majesty's ships,

under the supervision of a designated officer,

whose task it is to prevent the wound from healing.

The knife, however, would remain here,

in London, and at precisely noon, each day,

is to be plunged into the powder of sympathy,

which would immediately aggravate the wound

so that each dog, no matter how many thousands of miles away he may be

in his particular vessel, would begin to howl, thus.

The navigational officer on board each ship would therefore know instantly

that it would be midday in London,

and would thus be able to calculate his longitudinal position accordingly.

Get rid of them!

- Dr Halley, there's one further... - No more today.

I've had enough longitude lunatics for one afternoon.

I'm sorry, sir.

Don't touch that, boy!

I didn't, sir, honest. I was just looking.

Do you know what that is?

It's to tell the movement of the stars.

- How do you know that? - It's my job at home.

You have one of these at home?

No, sir. We use Mr Johnson next door's chimney.

And, pray, what is it you learn from Mr Johnson next door's chimney?

- The time. - How can you tell the time with a chimney?

If you stand in the right place, you can see Sirius.

Sirius?

It moves behind Mr Johnson's chimney

three minutes and 56 seconds earlier every day.

We need the time for our timepiece to tell if it's true.

- And is it? - It's bloody perfect, sir.

William!

This bulb's gone. I'll go and find one.

It's all right. I brought a torch.

Who did you say you worked for?

The hydrographer's office,

same as you.

If they were here, I'm sure I'd have known.

Well, if they're nowhere else, it stands to reason...

They must be here.

Mr Harrison, whatever the solution of the longitude, it will not be a timekeeper.

George Graham's clock here at the observatory is the most accurate in Europe,

yet it loses 33 seconds a month in the summer and gains as many in the winter.

But I have two timekeepers at home, sir, accurate to one second a month,

that hold the same time both summer and winter.

- How can you possibly tell? - By celestial observation.

Oh, of course, Mr Johnson next door's chimney.

...I hope to persuade the Board, sir, that...

Mr Harrison, there is no Board of Longitude. It has never met.

- Now, do you know why? - No, sir.

Because we know the answer to the longitude problem: the stars,

the only mechanism accurate enough for the purpose.

When we have learnt to map the heavens,

we shall chart the oceans beneath and the longitude problem will be solved.

Sir, I have some papers with me.

Do you know Mr Graham?

No, sir.

He's the finest instrument maker in Europe.

If you have a timekeeper as accurate as you maintain,

he's the man you should talk to, not me.

My secretary will write an introduction. Draw a map, would you, Samuel?

- Yes, sir. - Goodbye, William.

- A pleasure making your acquaintance. - Goodbye, sir.

Goodbye, Mr Harrison.

Excuse me. I'm looking for the Astronomer Royal's office.

There was some confusion at the gate as to where he was.

You've found him. Things are still in a bit of a muddle, I'm afraid.

We've had to store a lot of stuff.

Is Sir Frank expecting you?

- Gould. I have an appointment. - Have a seat. I won't be a moment.

The speed is perfect now, ma'am,

but it must be wound no more than five turns every day.

Let that be the task of one man only.

Mr Graham, the work will be my own, I assure you.

No- one else shall touch it.

Your ladyship is most gracious.

Mr Graham?

- Do you wish to make a purchase, sir? - No, sir.

Then make your application to the door at the rear of the premises.

I've been sent by Dr Edmund Halley, sir.

Oh... You'd better come in.

Don't touch anything!

Please.

One second a month, sir?

You're either a liar or a fool. Who are your makers?

- Myself and my brother James. - Really?

- Who were you apprenticed to? - My father.

I'm a carpenter by profession, as was he.

- A carpenter?! - My timekeepers are made of wood.

- I brought some drawings with me. - I'm sorry, I mistook you.

This is a joke, sir. Am I right?

Mr Halley seeks to derive some pleasure from this contrivance.

Is he here, hiding in a corner, to watch my performance?

It is I who am sorry, sir. The fault is mine.

It was my impression I was here to see a clockmaker.

I find myself in a toy shop by mistake!

- William! - Mr Harrison.

Summer and winter, how is it done?

How is it done, the compensation?

I use a pendulum of different metals that work against each other.

Impossible. It doesn't work. I've tried it.

It is possible.

It does work.

I built it.

Commander Gould, I have read your letter several times, in fact,

and nowhere in it can I find any reference to any qualification for the work you propose.

Well, I'm a trained navigator and I'm working on a history of the chronometer.

I am referring to formal qualifications, Commander.

The Harrison clocks are possibly the most valuable,

and certainly the most important timekeepers that we possess.

Yes, I am aware that they have been neglected,

and I suppose I must be grateful to you for pointing that out to us.

However, there has been a war on.

It is taking us a little time to sort ourselves out.

Now, I believe that you are no longer on active service, Commander.

No, sir, I'm retired.

Yes, Admiral Douglas's office.

It must be a quiet life, just staring at maps after your service on the China seas.

I had what is popularly known as a nervous breakdown.

Quite.

Sir Frank, I'm not asking to mechanically alter the Harrison machines.

I just want to bring them back to their proper condition.

If they're left as they are much longer, I fear they may become unrecoverable.

I know my qualifications appear unlikely.

I can only plead that they're no more so than Harrison's own.

And I promise, I won't fall to the floor and foam at the mouth.

It was not my intention to make light of your condition.

Nor mine.

What about the admiral? Has he agreed to this?

Not exactly. I'd have to do it in my own time, evenings, weekends, that sort of thing.

There can be no question of payment.

I seek none.

I want to create a clock without a pendulum.

I brought detailed drawings of my idea, which I want to submit to the Board of Longitude.

The Board is looking for a solution.

They won't reward a theory.

Besides, not a mechanic among them.

They're astronomers all.

As far as they're concerned, the answer is in the heavens.

May l...?

I'm a clockmaker, not a thief.

Let me see your papers.

You needn't be afraid.

I'm no carpenter.

- May I tell her? - You may.

William!

- We got the money! - You won the prize?

We've won no prize, but we will.

Mr George Graham's given us 200 pound.

I'm to build my marine timepiece.

- All right, sir? - Mm. Yes. Thank you.

It is just under 200 years

since John Harrison returned to Barrow

with the money to start construction of his marine clock,

which I shall call Harrison 1.

Graham's money was not enough to feed his family

and pay for tools and materials,

so he was forced to continue with his work as a carpenter

alongside construction of the marine timepiece.

Mark that.

Thus, alone, without advice or assistance,

Harrison set out to tackle a problem that had defeated every other craftsman on Earth.

His solution to the pendulum problem

was a new kind of mechanism that was not affected by exterior movement;

two balances that could compensate for any angle at which the clock was held.

He also incorporated into the structure

the temperature compensation techniques that he'd used on his wooden clocks.

And he then began a rigorous programme of comparison between the sea clock and his original regulating clock.

- Keep it steady, William. - It's too close to the fire.

That's nonsense. Now we have two enemies,

the climate and the inclination of the oceans.

We must be sure, as the piece is heated, be it by the Jamaican sun or by the fire,

that the movement doesn't change.

- Is it cold enough in here? - Yes.

- Oh, that's good. - 54, 55...

Now, the rule set by the pendulum allows us to fix the motion to one twentieth of a second.

- Louder, James! - 59!

- Well, William? - Four seconds.

Four? So, the sea clock is losing a second an hour to the pendulum clock.

I must keep making adjustments, make it perfect.

Each adjustment of the new machine required that it be fully dismantled,

Which is an extremely demanding task.

I am now able to achieve this in a little under eight hours.

With the same time to be allowed again for reassembly.

I have already had to do this four times.

Harrison, when he was adjusting the clock,

must have done it hundreds of times.

Steady now. That's good.

Keep it even. Steady now!

Start your count. Carefully, now.

- 51 - 52.

- 52. - 53.

54, 55, 56.

57, 58, 59.

- 60. - Stop! Oh, for God's sake, stop!

Well, it's not constant.

When it was still I could get under a second an hour.

Now it's two seconds.

That's 48 seconds a day.

Is 48 seconds so very much?

On a seven week voyage to the West lndies, that's over half an hour,

which would mean an error of nearly 500 miles.

We can't afford to lose more than a second a week.

Is it possible for a machine to be so accurate?

John believes it is.

There it is! Put a stop there.

It keeps the lever from falling too far back.

Commander? Good God, man, what are you doing here?

- I thought I was on my own. - I'm going crazy!

- Oh. - No, don't worry, not...

... that kind of crazy.

It's this machine. There's not a straight line in it.

It's layer upon layer of corrections, each one fitting on top of the other.

Whenever he came across a problem, instead of going back to the beginning,

he... he'd add another level of complexity,

springs working against levers, working against other springs and other levers.

I mean, it's madness,

madness born of a refusal to be wrong.

He couldn't just say, "I've made a mistake."

He'd say, "I'll add something else, then it won't be a mistake."

Look, can I get you something?

I think I've got a bottle of sherry somewhere.

- Why don't you come and have a drink? - No, that's all right.

I'll... I'll be all right in a minute.

Well, if you're sure.

I thought about you today.

I thought about the first time I saw you.

You'd copied out a poem of Robert Graves'.

I don't remember which one.

You'd drawn faces all around it,

and I thought, "This is someone special."

Not particularly because of the poem or the drawings.

I don't know what I'm trying to say, really.

It was the concentration, I think.

There was so much noise going on around you,

and you paid no attention to anything, except to what you were doing.

And I thought, "This is a man who can be anything he wants."

What are you talking about?

Nothing.

I want you to give up the clock.

I will.

When it's finished.

Yes, I knew you'd say that.

Silly of me, really.

He's ready.

- Can you see them? - Out there.

Should be less than a minute now.

There's the stand to.

Can you see him?

Now!

William! William!

He looks happy.

What happens now?

London.

- And then the West lndies. - If he's to win the prize.

Oh, God.

The machine moves with an elegance in every detail that I have never seen surpassed,

where every action is greeted by an equal and opposite one.

Come, see for yourself.

Be brave, sir. It's built to withstand the greatest storms ever faced at sea.

I have, myself, tried with the utmost vigour to disturb the motions of the balances.

And, at sea, the clock will be housed in a protective casing

which will also contribute to its stability.

Mr Harrison, it seems I misjudged you when we last met.

And, looking at it, I perceive that I must adjust the society's clock.

How can we help you?

I wish to apply for a trial at sea.

The admiralty may order a sea trial.

I will prepare a letter with the authority of the Royal Society.

We will all sign it, testifying to what we have observed of your timepiece.

Take it to the First Lord, and, if you meet with success,

be assured the Longitude Board will be assembled.

- Thank you, sir. - Well done.

Thank you.

The Board of Longitude has three elements:

Academics, sailors and politicians.

Now, you've met most of the academics at the Royal Society, and they support you,

and if you can convince the admiralty, then you have two thirds.

That only leaves the politicians.

If I had my way,

I'd have the man flogged before the fleet.

To lose a ship of the line, and on these shores,

at a cost of 200 lives, and he's still...

Mr John Harrison.

- Good luck. - Thank you.

But remember, this is the navy.

Mr Harrison?

Oh, no, it's no good there.

We shall have to order them all back.

Who the bloody hell is that?!

Oh. oh.

Well?

My lord, I've come to beseech you

that you see fit to send my machine for determination of the longitude for trial at sea.

Other ear, sir. Bloody Spaniard did that to me.

Bloody useless ever since.

It is specified by act of parliament

that such a trial should take place on a voyage to the West lndies.

This is my petition to your lordship.

- Are you a seafaring man, sir? - No, sir.

- Pity. - What?

I have the certificate of your mathematical friends at the Royal Society, Mr Harrison,

but I am no scientist.

- May I ask a simple question of you? - Yes, sir.

Will your machine keep its time at sea?

Yes, sir, I believe it will.

I have seen men die where they should not too often

not to pray success for your endeavour.

God's blood! It's an improvement on sticking a knife in a damn dog, what?

Get me the Portsmouth list.

I cannot promise you the West lndies,

but we'll find you a ship.

John, I do not ask you to be a politician, God forbid,

but you must not assume that every man is your enemy.

But why Lisbon?

The Act of Queen Anne says the trial must be to the West lndies.

Be patient. The journey is short. You'll be back in less than a month, if you're lucky.

And, if the machine performs,

the Board will have to order a further trial.

- Have you been to sea before? - No.

You may be glad of a quick voyage.

Your first time, Mr Harrison?

- Mr Harrison requests permission to board. - Permission granted.

Steady, sir. Give me your arm.

- Mr Harrison, Lieutenant Bertie. - Lieutenant.

Captain Proctor presents his compliments,

and asks you to stow the machine in the great cabin.

- Has he seen it yet? - I don't think so.

- Good God! - Gently does it, lads!

- Steady there! - Please ask your men to be careful.

Don't worry, Mr Harrison. This is the navy.

Boatswain, get all the men, on the double.

- Steady there. - Get that grip off her.

Campbell, take Mr Harrison to the great cabin with his clock,

while I report to the captain.

Aye aye, sir.

This, sir, is the so- called great cabin, Captain Proctor's quarters.

That's where he sleeps and where he eats.

- It's smaller than I imagined. - And it'll be smaller still with your machine in it.

The machine won't fit. Case is too large.

Don't worry, sir. This is a fighting ship, not a common inn.

- Gentlemen, will you give me action stations? - Aye aye.

You see, Mr Harrison, you don't need a drawing room when you're fighting a battle.

Watch your foot there, Mr Sailor!

- Prepare to receive the admiral's signal. - Gunner standing by, sir.

What was that? - The commander's signal to get under way.

Steady there!

- Number two gun, fire! - Clear!

- Stand clear! - Number three gun, fire!

Is there harm done?

I don't know.

Loose the mizzen topsail.

Loose the mizzen topsail, Mr Sprague!

Aye aye, sir.

Treen ho!

Will there be more firing?

Not unless the French declare war, which isn't due to happen this week.

This is the berth deck, where the crew sleep and eat.

The wardroom, where you'll be quartered, is above us.

Don't pay any attention to what you've heard about navy food.

It's a short voyage, and we've plenty of fresh provision.

This is Mr Harrison. Make sure you look after him.

- This is Ned and Seth. - Aye aye, sir.

Aye aye, sir.

One hammock, quite comfortable, with a bit of practice,

And your very own nine pound of earth.

- Whose quarters are these? - Don't worry about Lieutenant Draper.

He and Lieutenant Bertie are on different watches.

I'm afraid you must excuse me.

... I should go back on deck. The air here is...

Poisonous? You'll get used to it.

Most people don't notice it after the first couple of years.

- Daddy? - What are you doing up?

It's the middle of the night.

You little pickle.

You should be in bed.

Where have you been?

At work.

- On the clock? - Yes.

How did it get broken?

I don't know. I suppose somebody didn't take care of it properly.

- Darling, is that you? - Yeah.

- Why are you waking the children? - I'm not waking them.

Well, you've woken Laura.

- I'm sorry, Miss Gurney. - I'm all right. Night, everyone.

I know you don't like having a lodger, but we don't have much choice, do we?

I suppose we don't.

I'm going to bed. Make sure you turn out the lights.

Good night.

- Captain in the wardroom. - Relax, gentlemen.

I came to see that our guest was comfortable.

Mr Harrison chose not to dine this evening, sir.

His stomach did the choosing.

Well, keep an eye on him, Lieutenant Draper.

The admiral won't be too pleased if we lose him.

I tried to took a reading from his machine this evening,

and plotted a position that had us sailing through the city of Corunna.

I brought you a little broth. It'll help ease your stomach.

Thank you, Mr Campbell.

Mr Campbell, would you do me a little kindness?

My machine holds to London time, which is different from the time aboard this ship.

I need to have a reading of the clock at ship's midday precisely.

- Can you do that for me? - Aye, sir.

Here, give me that.

I'm not much of a sailor, I'm afraid.

Oh... How long have you been at sea?

- Four years. - For God's sake, why?

I was pressed.

It was my own decision.

I was apprenticed to the master of a cutter out by Argyll.

We'd heard an English frigate was pressing men farther south,

but we didn't expect to find them anywhere near us.

- What happened? - We gave them a good run, but they caught us.

They had twice the canvas.

They took every man except me and the master.

We were supposed to get her back to port.

- But you didn't? - The first mate was a good friend of mine.

He'd been married two weeks before. He was in a terrible way.

- I offered to take his place. - All hands!

Try and finish your broth.

And no matter, Mr Harrison.

I was young, and I didn't want to spend my life on a cutter.

Sir Charles,

I must thank you for your help with Mr Harrison's machine.

Mr Halley,

if your machine can do what its maker claims, then I will make you a promise.

Within 12 months, His Majesty's navy will control the high seas.

No one will move on water without our permission.

I'm not sure that is quite what he has in mind.

Who cares what is in the man's mind?

Very little except the ticking of his damn clock, was my impression.

But if he gives us the power to navigate the ocean,

without holding onto each other's coat tails like blind men in a brothel,

I'd give him 20,000 pound a year!

What?

Mr Harrison! You've found your legs at last.

I apologise for my behaviour, sir.

Not one of us hasn't felt like you have, sir.

No apology required. How's your machine?

I need to take some more readings before we arrive in Lisbon.

You've got two days, by my reckoning.

Thank you, sir. Excuse me, sir.

I think I preferred him when he was sick.

48, 49, 50...

51, 52...

It's no good. I still have us 20 miles inland.

- Check again. - I have!

My reading on the first day was close to Proctor's.

For the last two days, my clock has lost two seconds, three seconds, maybe four,

but, according to the map, we've lost four minutes or more.

The map must be wrong.

We sighted Cape Finisterre this morning. The map is true.

I'm writing a report to the admiralty about your machine.

They wish to know if the voyage has been a success.

I'm not entirely sure what to say.

I cannot tell until I get back to London and compare it with my pendulum clock.

... I suppose you think I'm a bloody fool. Well...

... don't worry, I'm used to it.

But I know a little navigation,

and I can... read the time on your machine.

It's not showing the true longitude. You realise that, don't you?

Yes.

Now, do you know why it isn't working?

Something's happened to the machine,

some kind of accident, while I was ill.

- You mean it stopped? - I'm not sure.

Perhaps.

I'm over four minutes slow,

yet, while I've been with the machine these last three days,

I'm certain it kept true time.

That is indeed remarkable.

Well, we must tell the admiralty, then, to wait till you get back to London, mustn't we?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Pipe aside.

Captain Proctor, excellent time!

No sign of the Dolphin, who left two days before you.

- Thank you, sir. - Yes.

- Who is that? - Admiral Sir John Balchen.

Not a man I'd wish to sail with.

His ships have a habit of being captured.

Maybe because they're usually weighed down with wine and tobacco.

What the bloody hell is that?!

It's a timepiece, sir.

Ah...

The carpenter's clock.

I'm supposed to take charge of its return.

Admiral Wager's instruction.

Does it work?

Mr Harrison says he won't know till he's back in London.

What a monster!

I certainly don't intend to have it in my cabin.

And I doubt if any of my captains will want it either.

- What do you think, Lieutenant? - Put it on the orford, sir.

Captain Man won't notice it's there.

He will, if it's in his bloody cabin.

Get up top and steady it.

- Heave! - Easy!

Steady as she goes.

The accent needs a bit of work,

but you seem happy to be on dry land again.

I've decided what to do.

I'll take a sighting here in Lisbon, and calculate Lisbon time on the voyage back.

So you can start with a clean slate?

I've purchased my own chart,

that I may make my own record of observations.

The wording's in French, I'm afraid, but it looks fair.

Well, I wish you every success on the orford.

It looks like you'll get better weather anyway.

Coming through.

Mr Harrison,

my orders are the orlop deck aft with the other stores.

Sir, it cannot go down there.

I need more light, room for it to move

and easy access to the deck.

Sir, this is a very crowded ship I'll see what I can do.

I only asked if you'd see me.

Speak English.

English, woman!

Do you know anything bloody rude in Portuguese?

No, sir, I'm afraid I don't.

Pity.

- Knorvler, Lieutenant. - John Harrison.

How do you do?

I don't know where you're going to sleep. We're pretty full.

Ladies, let's get you ashore now.

- Mr Wills! - Mr Harrison.

With your permission, I'll put my machine here.

That's the gun deck.

I need space and light. There's nowhere else.

Besides, the centre of the ship will give it an easier passage.

If you'll excuse me, Mr Harrison, I am rather occupied at the present.

You must get down from there.

Sorry, madam. Meant no harm to the child.

- Mr Harrison? - Yes.

- Who was the joiner? - The case is my work, if that's your question.

Arthur Mason, ship's carpenter. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

My men will take this. Where do you want it?

Thank you. Put it on the gun deck by the mainmast.

Don't worry, we'll look after it.

Thank you, Lieutenant. Give me your arm a moment, will you?

Will you ask Mr Wills to attend me in my cabin?

The admiral expects to weigh anchor on the evening tide.

Very good, sir.

- Get this chair stowed away. Sharp. - Aye aye, sir.

Lieutenant Knorvler, was the port wine loaded according to my instructions?

- 70 cases, sir, all accounted for. - Good. Good.

- Mr Wills! - Sir?

Who the damned hell is that?

Mr Harrison. We got a signal from Admiral Balchen.

The bloody carpenter?

Would you give him my compliments

and inform him that

if he's going to wave that octant around on my ship,

he can confine himself to the fo'c'sle, where he may be less disturbing to members of the crew.

- Get on with it, man. - Yes, sir.

- Mr Harrison... - Don't worry, Lieutenant, I heard.

I'm finished for now, anyway.

What's the matter, Jos Killick? Ain't you never seen a clock before?

- What's it doing here? - It's a marine timepiece.

A navigation device, help you get home.

How are you going to navigate down here in the dark, eh?

Because I can find where we are by knowing the time.

Yeah? How's that?

There's only one sun. It cannot be in two places at the same time.

When it's dark on one side of the globe, it's light on the other.

The sun passes over a given point once every 24 hours.

If we can find out how long it takes the sun to get from Jamaica to Portsmouth,

it's simple to work out the distance between the two.

So where are we, then?

We're here.

Boatswain's mate, I want all these hammocks slung.

Hammocks up. Come on, hammocks up.

If your machine is a disturbance to the men, Mr Harrison,

it'll have to go.

I'm not intending to disturb anyone, Lieutenant. - Good.

Ah!

Dash!

Will you be finishing soon, sir? Only, I have to lock up, you see?

Mm.

Of course, yes. No, I'm finished for the day.

... So er...

- What time is it exactly? - It's past midnight.

Oh, dear.

Oh, dear...

Mr Harrison,

do you know how to rid your bread of maggots?

No, sir.

You take a piece of rotten meat, and place the bread on top of the meat

and count to three whilst you watch the maggots leave the bread for the meat

then you pick up the bread and swallow it fast,

before the little buggers can change their mind.

Oh, thank you, sir.

- I hear you're keeping a chart, Mr Harrison. - I am.

Perhaps you'd be kind enough to let me see it tomorrow?

Certainly.

- I didn't hear you come in. - I tried not to wake anybody.

Rupert... Rupert...

How long is this going to go on for?

You know what I'm talking about.

Do you remember when we used to discuss you becoming a lawyer and studying at the bar?

That was when I'd finished the clock.

That was when the clock was a few weekends,

not the unpaid work of a lifetime.

It's destroying us.

No, it isn't.

Well, it is me!

- I brought you a piece of fish. - No, thanks.

- Don't worry, I caught it myself this morning. - Thank you.

Is it telling you what you want to hear?

No. It makes no sense.

According to this, we aren't headed for England at all, but for the Americas.

Well, we're sailing west, that's for sure.

The wind's against us, so Balchen's taking us west

in the hope that we'll pick up something that'll take us back up the Channel,

So maybe you are not so far out.

This isn't a coracle, you know.

You can't turn the British fleet around on a farthing.

Thank you for the fish.

On the 18th, we were at eight degrees 47.

I have nine degrees 2.

And yesterday?

Six degrees 10.

Then you're about 53, 54 miles west of us.

How can you be so sure?

I can't, Mr Harrison, not till I see land,

but I know these waters well, and I don't think I'm wrong.

Land ho!

There it is. Start Point.

I have it.

Mr Wills, can you show me from the map where we are?

Here, sir. You'll see the Berry Head just there in a moment.

Mr Wills, according to my calculations, we're here.

That is the Lizard Rock.

We stay on this course, it's Dodman's Point we'll be seeing.

No, sir.

Sir, I've slept by my machine for 30 days,

taken a reading from it every six hours.

I am not mistaken.

Mr Harrison, did you see Dodman's Point?

No, sir, I did not.

Pray you never will in a southeasterly like this,

Or that sight will be your last.

That is the Black Stone.

- What did he mean? - If you were right, Mr Harrison,

we're passing up through the Manacles with the wind in the southeast.

We should be smashed to pieces.

Wills... Mr Wills...

Mr Harrison.

That was the Lizard Point, Mr Wills,

And over there is Dodman's Point.

- I'd stake my life on it. - What's he saying?

That is Dodman's Point! You're 60 miles west.

Lieutenant Stewart, escort Mr Harrison below

and confine him there until further orders.

Excuse me, sir,

topgallant lookout reports Eddystone on the starboard bow.

I have it.

It's the Eddystone all right.

Sir, we must signal the admiral.

The admiral is closer than we are.

If he can't see our position,

who am I to suggest otherwise?

Our orders are to keep station.

Sir, we have very little time.

I can signal the master of the Princess Amelia.

Gentlemen, I'm going below.

Lieutenant Knorvler, take charge.

Aye, sir.

Mr Wills, send this signal to the Princess Amelia.

Immediately.

What are they doing?

Can't change course without an order from the admiral.

But how can they warn him?

Cannon, Mr Harrison, and we'll have to reply.

Mr Stewart, prepare to put her about.

Cannon? I'd better get below.

Boatswain, pipe action stations. Have the gunners stand by to fire 15 rounds.

- You have it, Mr Wills. - Bring her about.

- Give me 15 rounds. - 15 rounds, Mr Sadler.

Number one gun, fire!

Number two gun, fire!

Number three gun, fire!

Number four gun, fire!

Can we clear the Point against this wind?

We'll take some time, but we will.

We have to.

Mr Harrison, congratulations!

Boatswain's mate, all hands on deck. I need every man at his station.

We all have you to thank for our lives, Mr Harrison. Congratulations.

Thank you.

Dyson! Dyson!

- Is Sir Frank in? - No, he isn't. What's the matter?

- Nothing. Don't worry. - Good God, man! What's the matter?

Come with me.

They've been going for an hour.

I've just been sitting here, staring at them,

hardly daring to breathe.

That is incredible,

Completely and utterly incredible.

Is everybody all right?

I'm very all right.

Is this it?

It's beautiful.

Mr Harrison, I would like you to take a look at my entry to the log for the 2nd.

You will see that it reads that Admiral Balchen fired 15 guns,

ordering the fleet to disperse to their destinations,

which they did in an orderly fashion, after giving an answering signal.

That isn't true!

I'm showing you this so that you do not suffer from any confusion at a later point.

I've also written to the admiral

and informed him of my intention to resign from the service.

He's kindly indicated today that he will recommend my appointment as a captain

at Greenwich Hospital, a position that I shall be honoured to accept.

I trust this makes things clear between us.

So yesterday never happened.

Our orders are to proceed to Chatham.

You may disembark there and take your machine back to London.

Is that clear?

Perfectly clear.

I compared the machine with my pendulum clock.

It has lost six minutes and four seconds since I left London,

yet the journey back from Lisbon took 32 days, and I believe it kept near- perfect time.

Something happened on the Centurion, something I don't understand.

Well, you need another trial.

No, no, I need time,

time to think, time to test it again, but not at sea.

It's too big. I realise that now.

The Act of Queen Anne demands a practical solution.

It's impossible.

The machine is perfect.

You should have seen the people who came in today to see it.

The test was useless.

I have no proof. No- one will believe me.

The machine is impressive, Mr Harrison,

and you assure us that, on the Lisbon test, it performed well.

- Yes, sir. - But you have no documentary evidence.

... No, sir, I do not, but I'm not asking for the test...

No copy of the ship's log? No certificate from the ship's captain?

If the machine performed as well as you suggest,

does that not seem to you a little strange?

- I understand that there is no proof, but... - Mr Bradley,

the admiralty has had some difficulty in obtaining Captain Proctor's papers

since his untimely death in Lisbon in october.

Captain Man, as we've already discussed,

failed to report the timepiece in his log.

This is why we're discussing a further test.

My lord, is it wise to squander our resources on a second test

when there is no clear evidence for the success of the first,

particularly when other research, Sir Edmund Halley's lunar observations, for example,

ls proving very successful?

Mr Harrison, are you prepared for such a test?

No, sir, I am not.

My point, I think, gentlemen. The machine is no good!

The machine is good.

I've tested it myself, day and night, in my workshop since my return,

Under the most extreme conditions,

but I intend to produce a better.

However, I must ask for additional funding.

I beg the indulgence of your lordships in this matter,

but I can assure you,

that, since my voyage,

there's no man on Earth more eager to solve this problem than myself.

Mr Harrison, we do not doubt your enthusiasm,

but it is not the business of the Board to speculate upon it.

Excuse me, sir! I am seeking the Board of Longitude.

- Never heard of it, sir. This is the admiralty. - It's their first meeting today.

- It is, I believe, in the boardroom. - The boardroom? Why didn't you say so?

- You're looking at it. - Obliged to you, sir.

My lords.

I beg leave to approach.

If it pertains to the matters we're discussing.

Indeed it does, my lord.

I have in my hand a certificate from one Roger Wills,

Lately master of His Majesty's ship the Orford.

- May I read? - Yes, yes, yes. Very well.

Excuse me. I haven't run so fast since I was a child.

- Refreshments for the gentleman. - No, my lord. Thank you, my lord.

This is the passage.

When we made the land, according to my reckoning on others,

it ought to have been the Start,

but John Harrison declared to me and the rest of the ship's company

that, according to his machine,

it ought to be the Lizard,

the which, indeed, it was found to be.

His observation showing the ship to be more west than my reckoning,

above one degree and 26 miles.

My lord, I trust this will assist you in your deliberations.

Mr Wills is present if you should require further confirmation.

Thank you, Mr Graham.

Mr Harrison, would you excuse us for a moment, please?

Ah, thank you. Thank you very much.

It didn't sit right with my conscience to let a lie stand in the way of your machine,

not when it may do some good for poor sailors like myself.

500 pound.

Half now, half when the second clock is complete,

the sum to be set against any future prize winning.

George tried for more, but they wouldn't have it.

At least you may go home with some money in your pocket.

I'm not going home. I'm going to take a place in London.

- I've got to work fast. - Your family?

They'll have to come with me.

The good news, if that is the term for it,

is that Mrs Gould will be unable to get a divorce unless she can prove adultery.

- Am I to take it this is not the case? - No, it is not.

Then she has only one alternative, and that is to seek a judicial separation.

That would mean an order from the court that you are to live separately,

even though you are still technically married,

and, therefore, unable to consider remarriage.

- I don't think Muriel wants to get remarried. - Quite.

Lacking adultery she would have to cite mental cruelty.

- Do you know what that means? - I can guess.

Allow me to explain it to you clearly.

It would be necessary for her to make certain allegations in open court.

These allegations may be reported in the newspapers.

There's nothing we can do to stop that.

If we are to proceed, you must consider the consequences of this.

I don't understand. Why would the newspapers be interested in me?

Well, they aren't,

but a wife suing her husband is uncommon enough, I'm afraid,

to arouse their curiosity.

Now, I have been sent several statements from your wife's solicitors,

and they're very detailed indeed about your alleged drinking,

the instability of your mind

and your character.

I see.

Commander, it is my duty to inform you

that you stand to lose your children, your house, your reputation

and, quite probably, your job if you both continue in this action.

Well, thank you, Mr Worthington. You made things very clear.

Thank you for your advice.

I wonder...

do you think Muriel understands all this?

I'm sure Mrs Gould is competently advised.

Yes, of course.

I'm sure she is.

Thank you.

So, there's two bedrooms, a small attic room

and this is the sitting room.

I see that the machine has already chosen its quarters.

The money the Board has given is to pay for a new timepiece.

Not much left for us, I'm afraid.

- It's the best I could do. - How long?

- Two years at most. - And then we go home?

- Then we go home. - Right, let's get started, then.

Thank you.

- Would you have a cake? - No, thank you.

Oh, I've got some pictures for you that Cecil drew.

Oh, God, I can't find them.

I've forgotten them.

You will mention them to him, won't you?

One of them was of a boat, and the other, I'm not sure.

I'll post them. But do be sure to say something.

- What time's your train? - Ten to.

I've finished the first one.

- First what? - Clock.

It's so beautiful. I wish you'd come and see it.

I think they'll let me work on the second one.

That'll be harder, of course. It's... It's smaller and...

more compact.

I'm so sorry.

It's just I don't know what to say.

They'll be here in a moment.

I only wish Halley had lived to see this.

He understood your work.

The Earl of Macclesfield fills the Board with astronomers,

confident the lunar method will win.

They don't have much sympathy with us poor mechanicals, I'm afraid.

- I don't need sympathy. - Maybe you don't, but you do need money.

If this machine is a success,

it is my intention to propose that the society award you the Copley Medal.

It's their highest honour.

Did you bring the record of your new tests?

I have them, yes, but they mean nothing.

Enough! The results are spectacular. I've seen them myself.

There is a fault.

- What do you mean, a fault? - In the machine.

The fault was in the first machine too,

but I didn't understand. I found it by accident.

Something that could never have been discovered with the testing at sea. Look.

Stop! What are you doing? Are you mad?

That's not the motion of a ship!

Centrifugal movement. It slows the clock down.

That was exaggerated.

When a ship turns or changes course,

centrifugal movement causes the machine to lose a fraction of a second.

On a long voyage, that'll mean minutes.

Then make an adjustment in the cradle.

Oh, the cradle will make no difference.

I've already started a new machine with different balances,

George. They're circular.

Well, for God's sake, don't say anything to them.

Gentlemen.

Harrison's second machine was mechanically a replica of his first.

With some improvements in detail.

However, it was more compact,

the main concern being to create a machine that could be managed more practically.

But it was never to be tested at sea.

The problem of centrifugal force, caused by the pitching and yawing of a ship,

appeared to be insoluble.

On no account comment on any of his machines,

Or display any interest in them.

He'll be convinced that you're trying to steal an idea from him.

Keep your eyes on the floor at all times.

- Did you bring your samples? - Yes, Mr Graham.

Three pocket watches, as you instructed, and a model of a clock escapement.

He won't be interested in the watches,

but he should get an idea of the quality of your work.

It is a beautiful piece of work, is it not?

It's interesting, although I think there's too much tension in the mainspring,

but the workmanship is fair.

Mr Jefferies has worked for me for over 12 years on every kind of matter.

I can assure you he will make a most excellent and diligent assistant.

I don't need an assistant. My son will be my assistant when he's older.

John, you need some help now. You know you do.

Mr Jefferies, it's an honour to make your acquaintance.

As it happens, you may be able to oblige me.

- I'm in need of a pocket watch. - I would be honoured!

Very good. It must be suitable for use in different climates.

I'd need some particular alterations. If you wouldn't mind looking at these drawings.

I'll do my best to give satisfaction.

I need it to carry time from my regulating clock in the captain's cabin

to the deck, where the observations are made.

Anything you don't understand, come back and see me.

Thank you very much for coming over here, George, but now I have work to do.

- Goodbye, John. - Thank you, George.

Why would you not let them see anything?

There's nothing for them to see.

I have no solution. I've failed.

So what will you do?

I think perhaps we should go home.

Don't say that if you don't mean it.

Please, don't.

- Sir Frank's expecting me. - Yes, of course. Just one moment.

Commander Gould is here to see you.

You can go in now.

There it is.

Very nasty.

I don't know what business the newspapers have to interfere.

Nothing like other people's misery to cheer up your morning.

Quite.

I hear you've resigned from the hydrographer's office.

No. I was sacked, as a matter of fact.

I think Admiral Douglas was pleased to have the excuse.

Oh, dear. I'm very sorry to hear that.

Very sorry.

But perhaps the opportunity to rest will do you good.

I've tidied up H2.

It's in... pretty good order.

I thought that, under the circumstances,

you'd be happier if I didn't continue to work on it.

Yes, well, perhaps that would be for the best,

if it would suit you too.

Well, thanks for dropping by.

I really am very sorry.

Gentlemen, I am most pleased to announce

the presentation of the prize medal of gold, annually bestowed by this society,

to Mr John Harrison of Orange Street, Red Lion Square,

in consideration of those very curious instruments invented and made by him.

For the exact measurement of time.

- Honourable members... - Sit down, John.

It's not your turn yet.

I call upon Sir Martin Foulkes

to give an account of Mr Harrison's achievements.

You need this medal, John, if your work is to continue.

Just smile. It's all they need.

There's another bag in the back, and then that's everything.

- Darling? - Mother.

- Oh, you're so cold! Was the journey awful? - Pretty frightful.

Come and get warm.

Mr Harrison, I must congratulate you on your services to horology.

Your machines are truly masterpieces.

As for the longitude, well, you came close,

But I think you must admit the matter

is now best left with the astronomers.

- Would you like some wine? - Yes, I think I would.

Mr Bardner, do we have any wine?

- No, madam. - Oh, dear.

I'm afraid you'll find us rather dull after London.

- Would you like some sherry? - No, thank you.

Perhaps a whisky after dinner.

Oh, have some now, dear.

Mr Bardner, a little whisky for Rupert.

So, dear, have you thought what you're going to do?

No, Mother.

No, I haven't.

May I come in?

- I'm sorry to call so late. - John!

It took me a long time to find you.

- What's happened to you? - Did you not hear about us, then?

- You stayed on the Centurion? - Aye. I'm a lieutenant now.

Sailed round the world with Lord Anson.

And I'm a rich man.

My share from the capture of the Hacienda was 217 pound.

So, this is the new one? I heard that you were building another.

- Sit down. Can I get you something? - No, thank you.

I sailed in the company of 961 men, sir.

203 returned to England.

Of the 760 who died, only 48 were killed by enemy action.

And the rest?

Disease, despair.

We were lost.

Weeks on end without sight of land, fresh food, water,

although, much of the time,

we were within six hours' of Juan Fernandez,

but we mistook our position.

Didn't know it.

I saw more men die than any Roman emperor,

men who you'll remember, and who remembered you.

John Sprague,

Lieutenant Draper,

the mess boys, Ned and Seth.

They didn't even make a fortune.

We all heard about the orford, and how your machine performed

as we sailed hopelessly on,

heaving man after man over the side.

Have you seen a man die of scurvy?

No, I haven't.

The body starts to swell like a balloon.

The legs are the worst.

Every movement causes pain.

Then the skin starts to split, horrible, bleeding gashes.

Your tongue grows in your mouth,

and the throat swells, so that eating and drinking...

is impossible.

Death is a release.

I thought only of one thing,

A piece of twisted brass spinning.

There, look.

Its little heart's still beating.

I thought to myself, "This'll never happen again.

There'll be a machine to tell us where we are."

I swore that if I lived, I'd come and find you.

John, when they were dying,

who did your men curse for their misfortune?

Their god or their admiral.

When you're afloat, there's little difference.

And if they had a clock and the clock didn't work,

and the men still died,

who would they curse then?

When you're young, you think that anything is possible,

but as you grow older, you discover that it isn't.

Well, then, don't grow older,

Mr Harrison.