 Nevil Maskelyne, the astronomer-royal, happened to hear of his talents, and engaged him as an assistant at the Royal Observatory.On his recommendation Bayly, in 1769, was sent out by the Royal Society to North Cape, Norway to observe the transit of Venus that occurred in that year, and his observations were printed in the "Philosophical Transactions" of the society.In 1772 he accompanied William Wales as an astronomer on Cook's second voyage of discovery to the southern hemisphere.