Discusses loan of cirripede specimens from the British Museum.
Discusses loan of cirripede specimens from the British Museum.
Is obliged by his note and will accordingly write to Richard Sheepshanks. Spot on the sun was very visible to the naked eye recently. Looks forward to seeing JH.
Verified Leonhard Euler's values for Bernoulli's numbers up to B=25 by method previously outlined and to be stated fully in this letter. Mr. Hensley [of Trinity College] proposes to revise incorrect values given in Penny Cyclopaedia. Computing a Bernoulli number by P. S. Laplace's formula takes three days. HW's method of continued subtraction requires only 24 hours.
Received three bills for £316 from Georg Merz and Sons, but JH's balance is only £19.
No summary available.
Has now authoratative datum for height of Hawick Railway above the sea.
Thanks JH for suggestion on his method of Great Circle sailing. Further enquires over some cartographic matters.
Thanks JH for the gift of JH's Cape Results.
Requests reimbursement for £316 JH paid to [Georg] Merz for two bills owed by astronomer royal.
Should Mr. Morris, carpenter at Cranbrook, include canvas for covering dome, or will that be available at Cape Town? Improvements in WD's dome should be incorporated into Cape dome. Apologizes for WD's carelessness in managing telescope when JH visited.
Admiralty lords paid £316 to JH's account at Drummond's [Bank] for dome to house Cape of Good Hope telescope.
Proved accuracy of Leonhard Euler's values for Bernoulli's 27th number. Plans to test number 29. Will investigate Thomas Clausen's theorem, the generality of which JH appears to have disproved.
Acknowledges receipt of JH's Cape Results by Royal Society of Sciences of Göttingen.
Is searching for a tooth of Carcharias which he might have left with RO.
Will edit a manual [Admiralty Manual] of Scientific Desiderata and Queries as requested by [George Eden,] Lord Auckland. Is AS preparing any material for this work? What is its content and when will it be ready?
Has been requested to prepare a manual of scientific instructions for the use of ship's officers, and is asking GA to prepare a section on astronomy.
Lord Auckland [George Eden] has asked JH to edit Admiralty Manual and proposed that WH write section on botany. Would WH do this and when could WH complete it?
Lord Auckland [George Eden] asked JH to edit [Admiralty Manual] for officers on surveying and exploring expeditions. Charles Wheatstone will prepare instructions for meteorological observations. Asks WB to write instructions on detecting 'atmospheric waves and barometric fluctuations.'
Is editing a manual for surveying and exploring expeditions. Asks WW to do section on tides.
JDH has been delighted with his trip hitherto. Describes visiting Cairo & wishes his cousin could see the pyramids as he did. Discusses belt of productive soil along the Nile & its small rate of soil deposition. Discusses location of the pyramids & the island on which the Nilometer is situated, & its influence on the corn market. Crossed the Nile on a boat similar to that figured in Bruce’s TRAVELS. Describes two sketches made during the crossing.. On both banks saw Egyptians, Ethiopians, Nubians, Abyssinians, Turks & a few Copts. Reached Ghizeh [Giza] & struck inland, carried by Arabs when it became very muddy. Arabs were scattering vegetable seeds. Reached the pyramids, thinks the Sphinx 'stupendous'. Bases of pyramids covered deeply with rubbish. Only had time to go over the Pyramid of Cheops properly. Describes the magnificent view from the summit. Made a few sketches of the grandest but certainly least attractive scene he has ever viewed. Collected lichens from pyramid summit. Went into pyramid interior & recalled every passage & chamber from childhood interest. Finds one grievous disappointment with the pyramids; their futility as simply mausolea. As a child he regarded them as being constructed for three purposes: as astronomical buildings; as places of worship; & as edifices to the genius of the Nile. He was glad to see Matilda Rigby so soon after she had dined with Lady Palgrave.