Thanks for kind thoughts JH sent, after a difficult time about the Kaffir wars.

Discusses legal problems of the Commercial Advertiser. Has rewritten the list of subscribers. Sends documents to JH for approval. JH's response is included. JH states that slight alterations of the form are still necessary.

Discusses further corrections for the statement concerning the Commercial Advertiser.

Will finish up documents concerning the Commercial Advertiser. Thanks JH for his help and interest in the matter.

Hopes that JH will receive Friedrich Bessel's paper called 'On the Influence of the Irregularities of the Earth on Geodetic Operations, and their Comparison with Astronomical Determinations.'

The flood has done much mischief to his baseline; there are still some holes to be filled in. Has written to Col. G. G. Lewis. Hopes to see JH at breakfast on Thursday.

Weather was so unpromising that he sent off the men who were to repair the ravages to the base line levelings. Will JH therefore come on Wednesday instead of Monday provided the weather remains fine. Sorry he missed JH's request for barometric comparisons.

Weather is most provoking. Thinks it best to delay the action until Friday.

Is sending JH a lithographic print of Isaac Newton.

Had an unfortunate accident with the rods yesterday; one was smashed by the force of the wind. Intends to stake the whole line before the actual measurement takes place. Will calculate JH's Brisbane stars.

Has received the samples of mineral waters JH sent from the Cape. His own pamphlet on this is now printed. Would be pleased if JH would obtain some bulbs of massonia lutea for him. Rev. Sandys in the area is an intelligent man.

Sends the observations of the 21st copied by his daughter Mary. The leak in the center room has been repaired. Comments on JH's plan for measuring the base line. The Brisbane stars are nearly finished.

Frederick Augustus (Duke of Sussex) has still not visited the R.S.L. Will discuss J. A. Lloyd's case with the Duke at the first opportunity. Home news. Will continue to forward pamphlets.

Sending a copy of W. D. Conybeare's most recent publication; also his own Bridgewater treatise. Is grateful for his gift of luminous animals, which he has deposited in the College of Surgeons. Richard Owen has been giving the best lectures ever given. Dr. [William?] Smith is to exhibit his collection at Bulloch's museum. Is anxious to know what kind of fossil quadrupeds are to be found at the Cape.

J. D. Thompson plans to write JH about problem of positioning tide gage in dockyard. Admiral [Patrick Campbell] may move it to end of jetty. RW suggests omitting night observations in winter; jetty dangerous in bad weather. Will soon be ordered home. Amused by JH's report on Ascension [Island] sulfur. Sorry to hear Mary Herschel is ill. RW's son William is well again, but weak.

Awful night of thunder, wind, and rain; floods around the Observatory. Gives rainfall since 22 June. Has written to [J. D.?] Thompson to observe tides at Simon's Bay. Has no one at Table Bay. Measured Alpha Centauri on the meridian. Found JH's planetary nebulae with the mural circle.

Thanks for JH's interest in the 'little fellow'; he has now passed all danger. Is glad JH has unravelled the mysteries of h Centauri. Wrote to Thomas Brisbane pointing out imperfections in the catalogue. Has started to publish an abstract of the Met[eorological] J[our]n[a]l in the Government Gazette. Will not attend the glittering assembly at Government House tonight.

The departure of missionaries [again; see JM's and WB's 1835-8-6] allows JM and WB to send along further material on the Mappa Selenographica.

No summary available.

Introduces Frederic Smith and asks the Herschels to be kind to him when he arrives at the Cape. Is anxious to see JH again.