13th. Aug. 1858.
My dear Tom
Your note2 has just reached me. I wrote to you3 from the Eggishorn,4 I hope you received my note. I have been here for two or three days and two days ago made the ascent of Monte Rosa.5 I shall wander through this neighbourhood for 6 or eight days more, and at the end of eight days shall probably be at Saas.6 I wrote yesterday to Balmat7 asking him to accompany me to the top of Mont Blanc8 to set some thermometers there. I said to them that I should be at Chamouni9 in about 10 days from the present time. I shall try and wait in this neighbourhood until you come. Enquire at the Hotel de la Poste as you pass Visp.10 Enquire at Saas. I am almost sure to be at Saas at the time you mention. There is a little hotel11 in the Distel Alp12 near Saas, that will probably be my resting place when you come. Ramsay13 suddenly went away from me just as I came here. He received the unexpected intelligence of his mother’s14 death.15 A misfortune appears to hang over my company in this respect.
Poinsot is undoubtedly elected a Fellow of the R.S. you could not see his name in the list of candidates. The election of foreign members is a special honour, and is done in its own way. I don’t quite recollect; but the formality of the general meeting on the 30th. of Nov. may have to be gone through. But there is not a doubt that he is elected. Cast every shade of doubt out of your mind.16
I am on the point of starting on an expedition and must therefore cut myself short
Ever yours affectionately | John Tyndall
RI MS JT/1/HTYP/514
LT Typescript Only
[12]: although 13 August 1858 is given on LT’s typescript, this letter more likely dates to 12 August as that day Tyndall was at rest. As he noted in his journal, on 13 August he headed out very early for climbing, and the letter likely was postmarked that day (Journal, JT/2/13c/1111). In this letter he also noted, ‘two days ago made the ascent of Monte Rosa’. This occurred on 10 August 1858.
Your note: letter missing.
I wrote to you: letter 1538.
Eggishorn: see letter 1297, n. 6.
Monte Rosa: see letter 1478, n. 22. Tyndall made the ascent of Monte Rosa on 10 August 1858.
Saas: see letter 1537, n. 33.
I wrote yesterday to Balmat: Auguste Balmat. Letter missing.
Mont Blanc: see letter 1320, n. 6.
Chamouni: see letter 1353, n. 9.
Visp: see letter 1543, n. 8.
a little hotel: Mattmark Hotel on the Distel Alp.
Distel Alp: see letter 1532, n. 3.
Ramsay: Andrew Ramsay.
his mother’s: Elizabeth Ramsay
death: see letter 1542.
Poinsot is undoubtedly elected a Fellow…out of your mind: Poinsot was indeed elected a Foreign Member of the RS in 1858. While it appears that his name was not included in the list of Foreign Member candidates prior to the anniversary meeting on 30 November 1858, it is included in the list given in President Lord Wrottesley’s address for that meeting. See Roy. Soc. Proc., 9 (1857–9), pp. 497–522, on p. 498.
Please cite as “Tyndall1544,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on