Ɛpsilon

John Frederick William Herschel to Faraday   21 July 1828

M. Faraday Esq Royal Institution. To be forwarded | (copy)<qr>Slough | July 21. 1828

Dear Sir,

The reason of my writing to you is the dissolution of the Board of Longitude which I understand to have taken place or to be in the act of taking place by the repeal of the acts under which it exists1. I have written to Mr Gilbert2 to ascertain what immediate step it may be necessary to take in respect of the glass experiments in consequence of the sudden cessation our pecuniary resources, and I have suggested the propriety of his communicating immediately with you on the subject, as I am on the point of leaving Slough for a Summer excursion and cannot well name an address at present[.]

It strikes me that your opinion as to the probability of success and your wishes as to the continuance or discontinuance of the experiments are what will most likely guide the Council of the R.S. in the question whether to let the subject drop - or to apply to another quarter for funds to prosecute the enquiry. If success is met with at all it will be your doing I am quite sure that I am a nonentity as to all bonâ fida useful purposes, and my opinion on the point will be almost entirely dependent on yours feeling at the same time that the Council of the R.S. and Science have already incurred a great obligation to you for what you have already done[.]

The results Anderson shewed me of the fusion of Fluor with Clay are in the highest degree curious and interesting. The opake opalescent part before the blowpipe fuses with a very moderate heat and if suddenly cooled becomes transparent glass. The air exercises a strong action and it soon becomes infusible. I should fear that the violent action of fluor on the pots will prevent its being of much use, as, if saturated, it then bears too low a proportion to the other ingredients to give a low dispersive power. I should like to try the Fluor borax - and sand in a platina crucible and pour it out hot on a cold iron plate.

I remain dear Sir | Yours very Sincerely | J.F.W. Herschel

1
The act, 9 Geo IV, c.66 received the Royal Assent on 15 July 1828.
2
Herschel to Gilbert, 21 July 1828 (draft in RS MS HS 8.113). Gilbert replied 25 July 1828 (RS MS HS 8.114) saying he would write to Faraday and would and try and obtain money from the Admiralty. On 29 July 1828 (RS MS HS 8.115) he wrote again to Herschel enclosing a note from Croker (not found). On 2 September 1828 (draft in RS MS HS 8.116) Herschel replied saying that he and Faraday thought that the future prospects of the work should be made by a statement from the next meeting of the full Glass Committee to carry weight with the Admiralty. However, by the time of the meeting on 13 November 1828, the problem had been resolved and the sub-committee was requested to continue its work (RS MS CMB 1, p.211), the money coming from the Admiralty through their scientific committee which was formed at the end of the year. See letter 384.

Please cite as “Faraday0368,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday0368