The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Will send information from observatories where aurora are visible. Discusses occurrences at various observatories and a letter from [C.] Kreil to [A. T.] Kupffer regarding his observations.
Sends enclosure to JH. [Humphrey] Lloyd also has a copy and Lloyd will send comments directly to JH.
Reports on instruments being sent to Hamburg and to Egyptian observatories. Encloses portion of [K.] Kriel's letter to [A. T.] Kupffer. Reports on [Charles] Riddell's securing a site for a meteorological observatory.
Discusses Charles Riddell's desire to serve at a North American observatory and the expenses involved.
Suggests a book of expenses be kept at the R.S.L.
Discusses plans for a U.S. magnetic observatory and of [Karl] Kreil's paper about predicting earthquakes. Discusses the affairs of other observatories.
Has received materials from [A. D.] Bache indicating that the U.S. government has proposed to establish 5 magnetic observatories.
Hopes [Humphrey] Lloyd will reconsider V.F. Magnetometer based on JH's remarks. Discusses Canadian observatories. States who will perform U. S. magnetic survey. Discusses micrometer use.
Writes of a magnetic survey of a portion of India and the inaccuracy of the equipment used in magnetic observations at sea.
R.S.L. Council approved publication of ES's paper on magnetic observation at sea. Discussions for North American magnetic observatories continue.
[John] Lefroy should replace [Charles] Riddell in Canada. Discusses proposed Norwegian observatory and proposals for various instruments. Navy officers may be helpful observers in colonies.
Hopes to meet with JH to discuss some data. Announces that at the Newcastle B.A.A.S. meeting, JH, Humphrey Lloyd, and ES were appointed to a subcommittee. Discusses what James Ross will do on his return from the Cape. Announces the possibility of ten new observatories in Russia.
Relays communications from [Charles] Riddell in Toronto, who is making progress on the observatory there and has selected an officer of the artillery for an assistant. Suggests the meeting of the Physical Committee be moved. Discusses other matters of various observatories.
Encloses a letter from Boston, which may host an observatory. Has sent Boston information.
Encloses a letter from [John] Lefroy about an 'outbreak of [solar] spots' observed at a certain time. Speaks of purchasing instruments and of writing to the secretary of the Amer[ican Philosophical?] Society.
Tells of James Ross's broken instrument at the Cape and of efforts to send new equipment to him. Speaks of [Francis] Beaufort's magnetic observations at sea. Has looked for the memorial in the Athenaeum but does not believe it was published there. Does not know if Humphrey Lloyd is getting married.
Announces that the Quarterly Review has approved JH's article for immediate publication. Relays the message that JH should finish it as soon as possible.
Says the needle of a magnetic instrument has been made heavier as requested by ES. Mentions other instruments and their performances. Remarks on the Quarterly [Review].
Gentleman from Holland, sent by his King, has arrived and is eager to learn about and set up a magnetic observatory in Holland and two or three more in the Dutch colonies. Is excited about the possibility of a South American station. Believes it possible that in a few years there will be maps of all the oceans.
Desires that JH read the enclosed work by Mrs. Sabine about Antarctica.