Hopes that JH will receive Friedrich Bessel's paper called 'On the Influence of the Irregularities of the Earth on Geodetic Operations, and their Comparison with Astronomical Determinations.'
Hopes that JH will receive Friedrich Bessel's paper called 'On the Influence of the Irregularities of the Earth on Geodetic Operations, and their Comparison with Astronomical Determinations.'
Observing 2000 stars in a check of Giuseppe Piazzi's catalogue.
Calcutta Museum will trade an elephant skeleton to the Cape Museum for a hippopotamus, rhinoceros, or tiger. Work on ancient Indian inscriptions and at the mint leaves JP little time for meteorological work. Miss Pattle draws Cape scenes and sends them to JP.
Thanks JH for kindness to C. P. Smyth. Francis Baily re-elected president of R.A.S. W. S. Stratford prints a comet ephemeris.
Sends September 1837 Asiatic Journal. T. E. Cantor leaves for the Cape. JP asks if the Cape Museum would want an elephant or rhinoceros skeleton.
Sends early nineteenth-century astronomical observations. Francis Baily receives £500 from Parliament to enlarge stellar catalogue. Otto Struve's observations of Gamma Virginis agree with JH's.
Miss Pattle and C. R. Prinsep, Secretary of Government Proceedings, are going to Cape of Good Hope and will bring JP's Journals of the Asiatic Society to JH.
Sending a copy of W. D. Conybeare's most recent publication; also his own Bridgewater treatise. Is grateful for his gift of luminous animals, which he has deposited in the College of Surgeons. Richard Owen has been giving the best lectures ever given. Dr. [William?] Smith is to exhibit his collection at Bulloch's museum. Is anxious to know what kind of fossil quadrupeds are to be found at the Cape.
Frederick Augustus (Duke of Sussex) has still not visited the R.S.L. Will discuss J. A. Lloyd's case with the Duke at the first opportunity. Home news. Will continue to forward pamphlets.
Sending more barometric observations. Interesting articles by S. D. Poisson and D. F. J. Arago. Peculiar crimson light seen in the sky recently. The 'Beagle' will sail in May and will call on JH.
Is sending him a letter of Basil Hall. William Whewell is preparing another paper on the tides and is hoping for data from JH when he returns. Hears that JH will be home in June. Looks forward to seeing him again.
Has received the samples of mineral waters JH sent from the Cape. His own pamphlet on this is now printed. Would be pleased if JH would obtain some bulbs of massonia lutea for him. Rev. Sandys in the area is an intelligent man.
Will be a great reception for JH when he returns. Is working on a theory of probabilities. Francis Baily is the man for mapping the entire heavens. G. B. Airy is to test JH's topsy-turvy observations of Orion.
Check proofs, including first announcement of JH's 'Planetary Nebulae.' Instrument inconsistencies produce immense labor for TM and C. P. Smyth. Tempted to omit one-third of readings. Praises Smyth; happy to be rid of William Meadows. Speculates on causes of TM's and JH's headaches. Will propose that Fearon Fallows's observations be published.
Problems determining exact times of lunar eclipses. Cites B.A.A.S.Rep. article by T. R. Robinson on change of color. Base line covered by water after recent storm.
Compares TM's observations of 'spots' and colors [on lunar surface] to observations by others. At next eclipse, TM will use drawing of moon's face with spots labeled on it. Did JH note occultation? Chronometer is slow.
Gives latitude of 'this observatory' used in reduction of 'Comet stars.' Will accept systematic correction in all data to compensate for differences between TM's and Thomas Henderson's data. Instruments are erratic since telescope was moved. Using transit instrument only for sun, planets, and [reduction of Thomas] Brisbane's stars.
Received JH's collection of African insects, etc. Describes its luminous molluscs, crustaceans, Hottentot fish. Government granted £1500 to [William?] Smith and £1000 to C. R. Darwin to publish discoveries, and £500 to R.A.S. [Elizabeth Ann Waterhouse adds 1.5 pages to Margaret Brodie Herschel about birth of EW's second daughter, deaths in family.]
J. D. Thompson plans to write JH about problem of positioning tide gage in dockyard. Admiral [Patrick Campbell] may move it to end of jetty. RW suggests omitting night observations in winter; jetty dangerous in bad weather. Will soon be ordered home. Amused by JH's report on Ascension [Island] sulfur. Sorry to hear Mary Herschel is ill. RW's son William is well again, but weak.
Communicated JH's letter of 30 Sept. [1836] to the Albany Institute. Hopes JH received meteorological register of observation points in U.S., which are increasing in number. Sent meteorological reports to societies and individuals JH requested. Describes barometer and temperature measurements in wells and barometer extremes in great December storm. W. C. Redfield of New York says duration of observation periods recommended by JH is too short.