William Stevenson to Faraday   23 March 1853

M. Faraday Esq | &c &c &c

Dunse, 23d March 1853

My dear Sir,

I have now the pleasure of enclosing the Abstract of my Observations which I promised to send you¹. You are heartily welcomed to make any use of the paper that you may think fit. If it shall prove of any importance to Science I shall consider myself amply repaid for the labor.

The Extracts from my journals have extended I am afraid, to a tedious length, altho’ I have abridged them as much as I could by leaving out the less important details. I have also omitted a great number of instances wherein the phenomena exhibited were very similar to those shown in the cases I have quoted. Of course I have the means of furnishing, if necessary, a great quantity of addt details & instances, but those now given may serve as a sort of general example. With regard to special points of enquiry which may suggest themselves to you, I shall be happy, on hearing from you, to furnish all the assistance in my power.

I intended to have added some general remarks to the paper now sent, but on consideration, thought it better to defer this lest I might do injury by premature attempts at theorizing.

I was much gratified to learn that Colonel Sabine felt so much interested in my note². There are perhaps some things in the abstract sent which will also be interesting to him.

I Remain | My Dear Sir, | With the greatest respect | Yours Faithfully | Wm Stevenson

P.S. I should mention that at night there is often much difficulty in distinguishing between cirri & cirrostrati, so that it is possible that in some of my observations I may have mistaken the one form of cloud for the other. | W.S.