Has received urgent request from Athenaeum to allow them to publish paper on 'Photogenic Drawing' before it is read to R.S.L. in light of announcement of the 'Parisian invention.'
Has received urgent request from Athenaeum to allow them to publish paper on 'Photogenic Drawing' before it is read to R.S.L. in light of announcement of the 'Parisian invention.'
Submits payment to J. D. Roberton for 'Association' bills. Glad that ES approves of JH's draft article on terrestrial magnetism for Quarterly Review. Fears R.S.L. was premature in proposing experimental institutions; public was not prepared for such large expenditures for science. Prefers ES's suggestion of temporary magnetical and meteorological observatory. Strong disagreement from [C. J.] Riddell in America.
Will send two photometers and three-year supply of paper to [?]. One goes to J. C. Ross and one to F. Eardley Wilmot at Cape of Good Hope. Instructions for using photometers. Hopes [?] Robinson forwarded actinometers to Woolwich as JH directed. These should be checked at St. Helena. Instruction for using actinometers. Sent report to Humphrey Lloyd at B.A.A.S. Returns [?]'s Daguerre newspaper containing 'impudent notice about M. Pambour and his great Wheels.'
Sent wrong paper to JH in Nov. 1838. Now sends complete meteorological journal from Mr. Lees, HD's stepson. [JH annotation: Answered 18 Jan. 1839.]
Cabinet found R.S.L. recommendations unsatisfactory. Merchants are urging the value of good geographical and magnetic charts of southern ocean. Geographical Society is preparing a document. Wolverly Attwood, M.P., questioning ministers in Parliament on this matter.
Discusses Harvard University offer to make magnetic measurements. Requests ES to read Admiralty extracts. Asks questions regarding JH's upcoming review [in Quarterly Review] of several works on terrestrial magnetism.
Forwards a request from C. F. Gauss for magnetic observations made in England.
Advice on obtaining magnetical and meteorological apparatus for Van Diemen's Land observatory. Need to clear up finances.
Recounts a letter from William Rowan Hamilton, President of the Royal Irish Academy, commending CH on her service to astronomy.
Invites WW to Slough before JH travels to Midhurst [to consider property for sale].
Regarding Thomas Maclear's Cape Meridian.
Any news of Field Measuring bars—alteration in size of Observatory at Cape Town? Observations on use of magnetic needle. Has JH found a suitable country house yet?
Will bring CB's 'Engine' to Slough tomorrow, together with Dionysius Lardner's apparatus, which CB has 'taught to write.'
Has mentioned to Dr. T. R. Robinson their hopes of supplying the Cape Observatory with an equatorial telescope and theodolite. Encloses Robinson's comments. George Dollond would take two years to mount such a telescope. Curious paper in the Comptes rendus.
At the recent council meeting of the R.A.S., JH was nominated as president. Is returning the letters of F. W. Bessel.
Is honored by being nominated as president but would prefer someone else as he is very busy and can ill spare the time.
Regrets that he cannot change the mind of the council of the R.A.S. over its nomination of JH as president.
Observations of [Kensa?] received. The George Everest-Thomas Jervis affair.
Offering her services while JH is in Paris.
JH's experiments to find compounds suitable for photography. Accidental discovery of effect of 'nitrate of Silver.' Note of 22 Jan. from Francis Beaufort alerted JH to L. J. M. Daguerre's secret processes and W. H. F. Talbot's experiments.