Reduction of observations will begin immediately.
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The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Reduction of observations will begin immediately.
Thanks for signing certificate for [C. M.] Elliott. Sends extracts from George Buist's history of heat storms in India, with evidence of great masses of ice dropped by these storms.
Glad that Dr. [Duncan] Stewart received promise from Mr. Prinsep of cadetship [in H.E.I.C.] for Stewart's son. WS cannot promise same for young [George] Maclear but will add Maclear to list of applicants for WS's patronage.
Describes travels abroad and their educational value, news on balloon ascents, barometer corrections, Henri Regnault's hygrometer, invention of electric weaver and other new applications of electricity throughout Europe.
Plans date and time for first ascent of balloon experiment. WS's daughter has fallen in love with JH's son William.
Discusses balloon experiments to explain fall of barometer with humidity, and explains more discrepancies in vapor-pressure observations. Mentions new 'Hygrometric condenser' as an alternative to wet bulb experiments.
Requests letter ascertaining William Mann's competence, assuring his hiring as astronomer at Madras.
JH writes to the best of his knowledge about William Mann's competence in various areas.
Urges renewal of high balloon ascents with periodic observations both to further knowledge of law of decrement of temperature and pressure and for 'ulterior investigations.'
Notes that actinometer observations prove faulty due to problem with instruments. Asks that WS notify Indian observatories to join others in terminating such observations until JH finds method of getting around problem.
Regrets missing JH's visit; discusses influences of atmosphere and solar position on Indian weather and difficulty it causes in obtaining meteorological laws.
Clarifies results of pressure oscillations on two coasts of India as similar despite different weather conditions, and deems results thus unsatisfactory; explores reasons and suggests solutions for lack of success.
Noting discrepancy between dew points obtained by wet bulb and direct methods, WS cannot say which is nearer the truth; suspects that both have inaccuracies.
Invites JH to meeting of Balloon Committee and updates everything in previous letter.
Thanks WS for offer of professorship of astronomy at Oxford, but declines it, partly because of other pursuits and health reasons, and considers his astronomical career terminated.
Before meeting of Balloon Committee, requests JH's opinion on value of renewing balloon ascents.
Stresses importance for Balloon Committee of obtaining corresponding temperatures and pressures; describes two highly sensitive thermometers that might be built for this purpose.
Agrees with papers demonstrating falsity of present methods of correcting barometer for moisture and 'dogma of one gas being a vacuum to another.'
Expresses satisfaction with results of continued magnetic and meteorological observations in various locations.
Interprets [John] Dalton's theory of the nonelasticity of gas particles, expressing its limitations, particularly in regard to a Mr. Paton's paper.