Will edit a manual [Admiralty Manual] of Scientific Desiderata and Queries as requested by [George Eden,] Lord Auckland. Is AS preparing any material for this work? What is its content and when will it be ready?
Will edit a manual [Admiralty Manual] of Scientific Desiderata and Queries as requested by [George Eden,] Lord Auckland. Is AS preparing any material for this work? What is its content and when will it be ready?
Has noticed a resemblance between [Alexander von Humboldt's] Kosmos and MS's chapter, 'On Man,' in her manuscript. Advises her to revise. Sends results of observations at the Cape.
Thanks AQ for package No. 32. Asks AQ to acknowledge receipt of JH's Cape Results. Commends AQ for outstanding work on magnetic meteorological and periodic phenomena.
Has been requested to prepare a manual of scientific instructions for the use of ship's officers, and is asking GA to prepare a section on astronomy.
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.
Approves naming the new planet Neptune and continued designation of JH's father's planet as Uranus. Suggests reasons and alternatives.
Speculates on name for JR's 'hot and cold basins' and on causes of equatorial heat and polar cold.
Believes he has worked out the German notation of star positions [see GA's 1847-2-1].
Asks to be allowed to join the new Philosophical Club on a trial basis [see letter of same date to John P. Gassiot].
Uses GA's comments [see GA's 1847-5-10] finally to achieve clarification of Thomas Henderson's calculations.
Thanks WH for 'plan' of [asteroid] Iris. Family is happy to have WH's son (JH's son William's friend) with them for holidays. Recounts their playful and adventurous activities.
On WH's 'Hodograph' and theorems of parabolic motion and the relation between velocities, initial velocities, and time. Praises WH's son. Cape Results nearly finished. Revising book on astronomy. Plans to 'attack' quaternions. Mentions parabolic functions and Benjamin Peirce's claim that the discovery of Neptune was accidental.
Has dealt with the problem of thanking H. C. Schumacher [see GA's 1847-10-6].
Is still working on the distribution list for star catalogues [see GA's 1846-11-19].
Advice as to best way to present JL's method of calculating the orbits of comets to R.A.S. If JL desires R.A.S. to undertake calculations, might be some difficulty.
Asks time and place of next meeting of Philosophical Club, having received invitation lacking that information.
Reports on and recommends for publication experiments in paper [see RSPT, 137 (1847), 253-] by [A. F. J.] Claudet on effect of solar radiation on silver plate's mercury deposit, but questions conclusion about triplicity of photographic action.
The books are on their way [see GA's 1847-3-30].
Seeks London bookselling agent through whom to direct copies of JH's Cape Results for Dublin scientific groups. Discusses pretty names for new planets. Thanks for WH's memoir on quaternions.
Will be happy to supply a copy of the Cape Results [see GA's 1847-9-27]; the next asteroid should be called Flora, to provide 'young goddesses for Mars and Jupiter to admire.'