Wonders if JH has received AQ's letters and works sent to the Cape. Sends more. Has been doing meteorological observations. Will send some if JH wishes. Mural circle and transit instrument finally in place. Problems with equatorial; therefore missed Halley's Comet.
Dr. Andrew Smith arrived yesterday in the Bay and landed in the evening; has not seen Smith himself yet.
Unable to send the Parramatta observations as the vessel is leaving too soon. Has just returned from a meeting to consider [William?] Ritchie's new optical glasses. George Dollond speaks well of them.
Past difficulties and faults with running of Royal Observatory. Hopes Halley's Comet has been observed. Further information on the telescope presented to Cambridge Observatory by Hugh Percy (3rd Duke of Northumberland). James Challis has succeeded GA at Cambridge. Proposed new railway near Royal Observatory and its effect on observations.
Of health, family news, and the reception of JG's latest book [letter completed 1836-2-17].
Has just received JH's two letters of 5 and 25 Dec. Will prepare duplicates of his letters and pendulum observations and send them to Francis Beaufort. Has still heard nothing about the Observatory.
Forwarding meteorological and magnetic observations for Sept. and Dec. 1835. Has had no letter from the Governor, but is given to understand he may spend £100 towards the erection of a tide gauge. Have had two violent floods.
Comments on the accusations made about himself before the Aborigines Committee.
Has been observing Halley's Comet —'altogether the most beautiful thing I ever saw in a telescope.' Comet has tripled in diameter during the last week.
About an anomaly in one of JH's lists of observations.
Calculates the location of the comet [Halley's].
Replies to WH's letter on 'Scotodynamics.' Cannot follow WH's analysis of velocities of vibrations and disturbances, but finds it symbolically beautiful and powerful. Notes that diploma [?] arrived and was sent to Hanover. Thanks WH on behalf of Caroline Herschel, who sent a letter acknowledging the honor bestowed on her by Royal Irish Academy.
Comments on the papers of evidence placed before the Aborigines Committee, and expresses himself vehemently about the sin of having penal colonies.
Reports the birth of his fifth child, Alexander Stewart. Has made some excellent observations of Halley's Comet. Asks CH to inform Carl Gauss that JH has not received Gauss's magnetometer nor is JH certain of how to use it.
Speculates on extinction of species by natural (not miraculous) causes intermediate to Creator. JH's theory of shifting crust over Earth's surface and its subsequent transfer of pressure. Seeks geological primum mobile for volcanoes based on continual deposition and melting of strata. 'All records of former worlds must ultimately perish.'
Thanks CL for the gift of a new edition of CL's Principles of Geology. JH comments on a number of issues, in a very long letter, including the replacement of extinct species by other species, CL's solution of the problem of the variation of climate, and the evolution of language. JH speculates at length on the isothermal activity under the earth's crust that may result in volcanoes or the formation of new land masses, and describes a considerable number of geological examples that JH sees as supporting CL's ideas.
Having read John Burrow's book, JH proposes procedure for analyzing masses of data from [African] Expedition. Will volunteer to interpolate chronometer errors if TM will undertake computations.
About the principles whereby the nomenclature of the constellations might be reformed.
Regarding the double star Gamma Virginis.
Congratulations on the birth of JH's son Alexander. Has a man preparing the old Ramsden Equatorial as the calculations from the repeating circle are so troublesome. Observations of the comet this morning were excellent.