From:
Edward Sabine
To:
William Sharpey
Date:
1 March 1859
Source of text:
MM/19/18, Royal Society
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Royal Society
Showing 1–20 of 24 items
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Returns JH report with one correction, substituting Kazan for North Cape, because [Christopher] Hansteen cannot find Norwegian observers. Will make copies of its final form and take one to B.A.A.S. meeting in Aberdeen. Mr. Bolyani has visited every magnetic observatory in Europe. 1854 was the year of minimum magnetic disturbances in Peking.
Sends Council report to be read next week. Instructed printers Taylor & Francis to accept any changes that JH may request. Sent copies of JH's report to Humphrey Lloyd and G. B. Airy. Gives ES's address in Scotland.
Sends copy of ES's reply to Richard Owen, who reported Owen's interview with C. E. Trevelyan. Suggests waiting until summer to apply for government funds to support observatories in Peking and Vancouver Island. ES's recent illness.
Received order for self-recording photographic instruments for magnetic observations from Mr. Bolyani, who plans to improve observatory at University of Kazan. ES quoted prices for making these in London and invited Bolyani to inspect observatory at Kew. ES now prefers Shanghai to Peking as site for observatory. Geographic distribution of global observatories. Reading JH's 'Physical Geography' [1859]. Sends two sunspot photographs from Kew.
Asks permission to include JH on R.S.L. committee, headed by C. J. Selwyn (relative of George Peacock) and Dr. Beale, to purchase portrait of Peacock from artist Douglas Blakiston. Self-recording magnetic instruments have reached Washington safely.
Will assist JH in preparing review of terrestrial magnetism. Progress in publishing vol. 2 of observations from St. Helena. Prince Albert favors new observatories and hopes to see JH [at B.A.A.S. meeting] in Aberdeen. Research in British colonies. Demonstration of Mr. Gossert's apparatus by [T. R.] Robinson.
A. D. Bache reports that self-recording instruments are installed at Washington observatory and ready to begin observations. ES is making field observations to confirm changes in magnetic lines in England since ES's 1837 survey. [JH annotation: Summary of Bache's letter. Joint survey by Smithsonian Institution and U.S. Coast Survey will begin when Bache receives full instructions from Sabine.]
Does JH wish to alter ES's reply to A. D. Bache? Origins of names for American rivers. Hopes JH is well enough to accept the invitation of Lord Aberdeen [G. Hamilton-Gordon].
Replied to J. A. da Silva that Kew Observatory would gladly train Portuguese observers and superintend manufacture of instruments, but that ES could not speak for English government. [JH annotation: Summary of letter from da Silva, director of meteorological observatory in Lisbon, requesting training for Portuguese observers at Kew, British influence on Portuguese government to join magnetic survey, and advice on instruments.]
Notified Richard Owen that Kew observatory is ready to receive trainees for magnetic observations. Stewart Balfour estimates six weeks to train observers, who will then take instruments and leave for British Columbia or Shanghai. New observatory at University of Mississippi in U.S. American Association for the Advancement of Science has expressed interest in magnetic survey. Success in photographing sunspots, which R. C. Carrington and Warren de La Rue will supervise. Recent observations.
Encloses ES's résumé of magnetic surveys accomplished by U.K., written to encourage similar surveys in China and North America. Perhaps JH may append this to JH's report.
Proper procedure for communicating with Charles Grey. Cost and effectiveness of self-registering instruments versus older visual instruments. ES's method of estimating observatory expenses. Importance of observatory in Shanghai.
Extract of letter from Charles Grey, asking B.A.A.S. to inform Prince Albert of estimated expenses for proposed five-year survey of terrestrial magnetism. As president of joint committee of B.A.A.S. and R.S.L., JH should answer this. Entry of three U.S. observatories may eliminate need for observatory in Newfoundland. Recent visit to Kew by A. T. Kupffer suggests that Russian stations may soon have self-recording instruments. Proposes suspending observatory in Falkland Islands until colonies decide to join survey. Dutch observatory in Java. Describes buildings needed for observatories. Estimates expenses for six years.
Would be glad to accompany JH to Kew to see instruments.
Will travel to Kew Tuesday. Encloses answer to Duke of Newcastle regarding proposal for colonies. Welcomes any comments from JH.
Encloses letter from Colonial Office to R.S.L., which was referred to ES because [B. C.] Brodie was out of town. Brodie hopes to see JH when JH comes to London.