Received JH's directive to send dividend to Mary Ann Hollier. Other money is invested in property at Cardiff, owned by Mr. Hollier. CB in bad health. Questions authorship of Vestiges [of Creation].

Illegible.

Has been appointed keeper of Mining records at the Museum of Economic Geology. Hopes to meet him personally and thank him for his assistance.

Discusses meetings of B.A.A.S. Describes [Robert Chambers's] Vestiges of Creation as a 'singularly shallow work.' Asks various astronomical questions of JH. Says the author misunderstands P. S. Laplace and Auguste Comte. AS is quite harsh in criticism.

Asks various questions about P. S. Laplace's nebular hypothesis and about Auguste Comte's discussion of it. AS comments: 'Your Father and you have given ample materials for observations for a 1000 years to come.'

H. U. Addington will send JH's letter to Clemens von Metternich via Robert Gordon, English minister to Vienna. JH may include George Peacock's signature also. Printer will send proofs of replies to JH's circular to JH for corrections. JH's estimate for expenses for observatories is too high. Sent copy of JH's circular to Charles Wheatstone.

Thanks for JH's certificate concerning AS's battery, now finding increasing support.

Asks JH to accept a paper EA has written.

Published opinions on magnetic and meteorological survey should be restricted to correspondents who were directly involved in observations, particularly foreign participants. Most others may express their views at B.A.A.S. meeting in Cambridge. Recommends omitting M. F. Maury's letter and including that of J. M. Gilliss.

Sends specimen of esculine, or polychrome, extracted from horse chestnut. It exhibits optical properties that JH recently investigated. Offers to send specimen of colophene. Asks JH's recommendations for foreign secretary of R.S.L., following death of J. F. Daniell. This officer must supervise magnetic and meteorological observatories. [JH annotation: 'By all means appoint Sab(ine).']

Will direct JH's 14 Apr. letter to Prince Metternich.

Asks JH's opinion on a paper on magnetism by Karl Reichenbach, which has some 'very extraordinary' statements.

Comments on the various responses to the circulated questions about magnetic observations [see JH's 1844-12-5].

Is enclosing two transcripts of letters from William Simms relating to the object-glass. a. Hopes to give account next week. b. One glass good, other has failed.

Regarding the acceleration of retention of a shrinking sphere.

Has been with Philip Melvill of the East India Co. discussing the printing of the observations. Would it be a good use of JH's photographic papers to take a reverse of William Parsons' (3rd Earl of Rosse) drawings of nebulae? Cannot obtain Nicolas Clement-Desormes's or John Sharpe's papers. Doubts if the mode of measuring latent heat hitherto used can be recommended for accuracy.

[William] Penn produced letter written on WR's behalf by JH. Thanks JH for letter, which increased Mr. Slingsby's [?] confidence.

ES will write to M. F. Maury. Concurrence of both R.S.L. and B.A.A.S. is needed before congress is announced. Proofs of foreign responses to JH's circular will be ready next week.

George Bishop refuses permission for W. R. Dawes to edit Dawes's own observations. Portrait of Francis Baily should be nearly finished. Auction of Baily's books. Plans to start over 'de novo' and not use Baily's method for evaluating standards of measure. Convinced that standards must be connected with Ordnance survey of U.K. and T. F. Colby's units.

Response to questions on magnetic circular sent out by JH [see JH's 1844-12-5].