Enjoyed visit of Louisa [Herschel Marshall]. Wants copies of JH's new articles. Is witnessing a solar eclipse, in which half the disc was covered, as she writes.
Carrington will be communicating with JH regarding Ignatio Porro's instruments. Pleased to hear of the projected new edition of JH's Outlines Astr. Is engaged translating D. F. J. Arago's Astronomy. Points out omissions in this work. Comments on the planet Neptune.
Regarding the recent eclipse of the sun. Has not been able to guess all his riddles.
Have looked up the deeds and will make a schedule of them.
Expresses his views, generally supportive, on the question of the continuation of magnetic observations at various colonial stations.
Asks JH to sign a petition to allow a parishioner to marry his late wife's sister.
Sending some publications to show the kind of work he is doing. Has read JH's Admiralty Manual and congratulates him on its authority. Has been reading J. P. Espy's Fourth Report. Note of W. J. S. Pullen's soundings in the South Atlantic.
Replies to specific requests by committee for summary of benefits from research in terrestrial magnetism and meteorology and for ES's opinion on continuance of observatories. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]
Sends proofs of editor's notes from vol. 4 of [Elizabeth J. Sabine's] translation of Alexander von Humboldt's] Cosmos. Assumes that JH and magnetic committee members all have copies of 'Introduction' to vol. 3 of Toronto observations. Managed to clear up 'mystification' in J. B. Biot's account of pendulum experiments.
Comments on JH's paper on Sensorial Vision (1858). Covered some of this ground in HH's own book, Mental Physiology (1852).
After JW's 1843-45 mission to find Charles Stoddart and Arthur Conolly in Bukhara [Uzbek], JW was given poor parish in Dorsetshire. Attempting to raise £1,000 for new church and school. Would JH contribute?
Has read with much pleasure JH's dissertation on meteorology published in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Requests an English version. Sends several memoires on meteorology. Regrets not being able to send a complete set. Asks JH to send other works for the Observatory of Havana.
ES's paper on magnetic observatories in colonies is same as 'Introduction' to vol. 3 of Toronto observations. Publisher has delayed [Elizabeth J. Sabine's] translation of vol. 4 of Cosmos; please send JH's copy of 'Editor's Notes' to other members of magnetic committee. J. B. Biot intentionally subordinated English pendulum experiments to French experiments, and Alexander von Humboldt was misled.
Sends JH some responses to a letter from Edward Sabine on Colonial observatories [see GA's 1858-3-13].
Entirely agrees with his views on M. F. Maury. Is surprised at David Brewster's review of Maury's work. Would JH comment on RF's work on weather forecasting.
Current activities at magnetic observatories at Cape of Good Hope, Hobart [Tasmania], and Toronto. Future avenues for research in terrestrial magnetism include correlation with sunspot cycles, annual seasons, parallels of latitude, and lunar position. Urges establishment of many more observing stations. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]
Comments briefly on the positioning of magnetic observatories. Unsure whether he understands Humphrey Lloyd's proposal.
Reacts to JH's suggestions [see JH's 1858-5-[10]] for altering GA's responses [see GA's 1858-5-4] to Edward Sabine's report on magnetic observatories [includes a silly riddle, apparently passed on from Augustus De Morgan].
Provides a more detailed response to Edward Sabine's report on magnetic observatories [see GA's 1858-5-12].
Forwards report, just received, of three years of lunar diurnal variation at Cape of Good Hope. [JH annotation: Routing list to G. B. Airy, George Peacock, and William Whewell.]