Expresses his approval of James Ross's Antarctic survey, providing some of the details of it and his determination of the south magnetic pole. Gives details of Ross's plans.
Mentions a deletion of part of James Ross's dispatch. Clerk is receiving instructions from Charles Riddell before sailing to the Cape of Good Hope, from which observatory he expects a report in eight months. Asks whether the R.S.L. should request government funding for Cape observations and experiments. Wonders if astronomical and magnetic observers there could assist each other. Requests information on the atmosphere.
JH continues to serve on the committee to supervise and translate foreign scientific memoirs [see JP's 1840-10-19].
Informs JH that the B.A.A.S. has placed him on a committee to conduct experiments by capture balloon on the atmosphere.
JH, G. B. Airy, and Thomas Henderson are appointed to oversee the publication of the reductions of the calculations of N. L. Lacaille's stars. They will have £105 at their disposal.
JH, William Whewell, George Peacock, Humphrey Lloyd, and Edward Sabine are appointed by the B.A.A.S. to study systems of simultaneous magnetical and meteorological observations. They will be granted £100.
CD and [Emma Darwin] are invited to "a holiday musical evening".
No summary available.
Regrets not having seen JH in England. Discusses horary observations. Lists current projects. Talks about C. F. Gauss's reactions to magnetic observations by JH in two hemispheres and difference of lines for Europe and America. Gives results for August meteors.
JDH informs his father, William Jackson Hooker, that since last writing to the family through Captain [Francis] Beaufort he has been busy collecting in the Bay of Islands. His collection is rich in mosses & phaenogams, including some not in [Allan] Cunningham's flora. JDH has been on excursions with [William] Colenso, who is otherwise busy with printing & other missionary business. JDH has a mixed opinion of missionaries but likes Colenso. Colenso has given JDH some curiosities of New Zealand, incl. minerals & a paper nautilus. The HMS 'Erebus' will travel straight to the ice without stopping at Chatham Island. The last letters JDH received from England were on 1 Feb. JDH's letter will go via Sydney on the HMS 'Favourite' & he hopes for return letters when he is in the Falkland Islands. [Joseph] Dayman wrote to JDH from Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania] with news that the latest communication with [Joseph Henry] Kay' contained no news of the Hooker family. Lady [Jane] Franklin has written to inform Captain [James Clark] Ross that part of his journal & one of JDH's collections of plants were lost en route from Hobartown [Hobart], he hopes it is not the collection including illustrated notes from the Auckland or Cape [Verde] Islands, he suspects it is the Kerguelen Island plants & luckily he has duplicates of most, unlike Sir Stamford Raffles, [Robert] Brown or WJH who did not. JDH wonders how WJH's situation has changed since being appointed as Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & what has become of his friend [G. A. Arnott Walker-] Arnott. JDH finds botanizing in New Zealand lonely & hopes his work is worth it. Mentions some distinctive species of New Zealand moss: a Polytrichum, a Hookeria that resembles H. cristata, a Phascum, a Splachnum, a Trematodon & a foliaceous species with similarities to Jungermannia.
Sends news of his house-hunting.
Envies WDF his discovery of Cheirotherium footprints.
Regarding a missing picture of his father.
Is now completely recovered from his accident. Has resumed work on his Cavendish experiments, which he will soon present to the public. Hopes his new residence at Hawkhurst suits his health.
Received JH's enquiry today. Sent 100 copies of JH's paper on the 'Nomenclature of the Stars' to Peter Stewart.