Found ten species of orchids on Table Mountain yesterday. Gives details of some and discusses their distribution.
Showing 81–100 of 107 items
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.
Found ten species of orchids on Table Mountain yesterday. Gives details of some and discusses their distribution.
Observing 2000 stars in a check of Giuseppe Piazzi's catalogue.
Hard at work mapping the polar stars. Rejoices at Dr. Andrew Smith's success. The results of tonight will be delivered by J. K. Gibbs in the morning.
Sends September 1837 Asiatic Journal. T. E. Cantor leaves for the Cape. JP asks if the Cape Museum would want an elephant or rhinoceros skeleton.
Gives a list of the close Polar stars. Started last night to observe the stars on JH's list but was put off by JH's right ascensions. Will observe each star again this night. John Fairbairn cannot divest himself of the apprehension of danger to Andries Stockenström.
Sends the results of one good night's observations entirely reduced. More transit observations are in process of being reduced.
Polar region was thick this evening so that very minute stars were invisible. Set C. P. Smyth to the transit and himself at the circle to observe JH's list of stars. Received the spherometer safely. Intends to stake out the base line again on Tuesday. [Andrew?] Sm[y]th's expedition will be a serious undertaking in the Eastern direction.
Returns the specimens with the names. Sends a magnificent specimen of Orobanche, which may be a new species. Comments on the scent of plants. Will be glad to hear the results of his experiments on the temperature of bulbs. Comments on changes due to removal. Sleep in plants.
Has delayed writing in order to send the correspondence about the Observatory. Has received a letter from the Colonial Office praising his work and increasing his salary, also taking over financial responsibility for the instruments. Is not satisfied with the life at Mauritius.
Sending his pamphlet on the tea plant. Comments on the geological features of the Chittagong area. Hopes that JH will have time to look at the fossils.
Examined the base line on Tuesday; gives a resume of the operations. On Monday night observed the Polar stars; comments on the disappearance of certain stars in the Brisbane catalogue. Thinks a chain is preferable to deal rods in measuring base lines.
Thanks for two letters. Updates JH on observatories participating in horary observations. Proposes to reduce observations. Sends second part of Brussel's annals and other works. Discusses a phenomenon on 10 August. Mentions several observations of the Aurorae Borealis.
Asks TM for some trigonometric information regarding a particular set of points.
Sending the mean of all the observations on the polars. Comments on the base line, and gives readings.
Encloses a plan of the triangulation and comments on his method. Thinks of making the baseline on the parade a permanent standard and has written to the Governor to obtain permission, as there is friction between the Board of Ordnance and the Cape Authorities over the ownership of the Parade. Has had no reply from the Governor as yet.
Sends two drawings of C. P. Smyth and a portrait of Isaac Newton sent by Dr. [John?] Lee; also a plan of the triangulation.
Thanks for the perusal of [W. H.?] Smyth's letter; also had one, which he will send later when he has considered certain points. The zenith sector is on board the Wellesley, expected daily. Benjamin D'Urban has granted all TM's wishes regarding the survey. Re-surveyed the ground this morning.
Availed himself of the calm weather to finish the parade measurement. Gives an account of the work.
Thanks for the perusal of Capt. J. A. Lloyd's papers. Comments on Lloyd's work at Mauritius. Does not think a mural circle necessary for the observatory at Mauritius. Regarding the Parade base line at the Cape. Not easy to put the guns into the ground.
The zenith sector was brought by the Wellesley and is now at the Observatory. Outlines some observations he hopes to make with it. Is about to write to R. Thom[p]son. Has some important matters to discuss with JH when he calls.