Comments on book by George Grey [Journals of two expeditions of discovery in north-west and Western Australia (1841)]. "The whole expedition was that of a set of School Boys".

Thinks Dean of Ely [George Peacock] should be appointed treasurer of R.S.L. Discusses George Rennie and Robert Brown as other possible candidates.

Communication from [Henry] Goulburn is official. Government will continue observatories and acquaint other governments with them. Admiralty will furnish meteorological instruments for coast stations.

Committee of Physics will meet 6 Nov.

[Form letter] Requests parishioners to attend meeting on 1 Dec. to determine future of dispensary, which affords medical relief to 89 families in parish.

Thanks WW for his book [Of a Liberal Education, 1845]. Agrees with WW on the educational value of the calculus and on the importance of Isaac Newton's Principia. Is teaching mechanics to his son William.

JDH informs his father, Sir William Jackson Hooker, about developments in his candidature for the Chair of Botany at Edinburgh University, usually held by one person unifying the posts of College Professor, Regius Professor, & Curator of the Botanic Garden. He reports that [John Hutton] Balfour had previously refused to take the post of Chair without the garden curatorship leaving only JDH & Leller[?] as candidates. JDH is Crown nominated & has the support of the University Provost but needs approval from the Town Council. The Natural History Chair also needs dual approval, the Provost plans to petition Sir James Graham [Home Secretary] to relinquish all Government, or 'Crown', control over 1 chair in return for total control of the other, plus his guaranteed support for JDH's candidature. JDH does not think this will be well received as the government has put a lot of money into the college & botanic garden. JDH adds that Balfour has since revoked his conditional refusal of the post of Chair of Botany without the garden curatorship, & the Town Council is inclined to appoint him if only to demonstrate their influence to government. They also want someone with lecturing, not just botanical, credentials. JDH is dismissive of their opposition, if he got the posts of Regius Professor & Garden Curator the faculty would have to accept him. Only the College Professorship is in the gift of the Town Council, it would be the post devalued & JDH would be happy to free of it & the Council's oversight in exchange for the reduced salary. He concludes that it has all become a matter of politics. One Councillor suggested that JDH take Balfour's current position at Glasgow claiming it was of equal value, JDH disabused him. JDH mentions some people he has seen, or expects to soon, in Edinburgh: Nicoll, the Gibson Craigs, Deucher[?], Muir, Henderson & Smith, the Sands & Lord Falnor[?]. He also has invitations to Kilmun, Riccarton, the Smiths at Coulston, E. Hendersons & the Gardens.