Berlin 16 Juni 60
Mein theurer Tyndall
Ich habe jetzt eine neue Ausgabe meiner Schrift über die Abweichung der Geschoße drucken lassen, die einiges Neue enthält. Ich werde ihnen durch Asher ein Exemplar zugehen lassen, ebenso denke ich an General Sabine ein Exemplar zu senden, wenn ich aber nicht irre, so interessirte sich damals noch General Yorke für die Sache; soll ich diesem auch ein Exemplar senden oder wem sonst, oder wollen Sie es übernehmen diese Exemplare zu vertheilen? Gern möchte ich dem Prinzen Albert auch eine Aufmerksamkeit erweisen, da er sich der Humboldt Stiftung so thätig angenommen hat; aber ich möchte nichts mit diplomatischen oder [treuhänderischen] Verhandlungen zu thun haben. Ich denke mir die Sache interessirt gerade jetzt die Militaire.
Ihre Abhandlung, betreffend das Vorrücken der Gletscher, habe ich mit großem Interesse gelesen, und bin gespannt auf das größere Werk das Sie über die Alpen zu veröffentlichen gedenken. Ich habe mich viel mit Versuchen aus dem Gebiete der Wärme beschäftigt und einige Facta gefunden, die zwar keine besondere Bedeutung haben, aber mir doch ganz interessant erschienen sind, so bald ich fertig theile ich Ihnen dieselben mit. Lassen Sie mir recht bald ihre Antwort zukommen, denn ich schicke die Exemplare nicht eher ab als bis ich Ihren Brief habe. Soll ich für Faraday ein Exemplar beifügen? Sie wissen wie hoch ihn schätze! Wenn Sie glauben daß er die Aufmerksamkeit, denn weiter ist es nichts, gern sieht, so macht es mir die größte Freude sie ihm zu erweisen.
Von Herzen | Ihr | GMagnus.
Prof. Tyndall.
Berlin 16 June 60
My dear Tyndall
I have now had a new edition of my paper on the deflection of projectiles printed,1 which contains quite a few new things. I will send you a copy via Asher;2 I am also thinking to send a copy to General Sabine3—if I am not mistaken, General Yorke4 was also interested in this subject back then; shall I also send him a copy or to whom else, or do you want to assume the distribution of these copies? I would like to show attention to Prince Albert, as he has so actively looked after the Humboldt Foundation,5 but I would not like to have to do with any diplomatic or [fiduciary] negotiations. I think that the matter is of interest to the military especially now.
I have read your paper concerning the movement of glaciers6 with great interest, and am curious to see your larger work on the Alps7 that you are thinking about publishing. I have been very busy with experiments in the field of heat8 and found some facts that admittedly do not have any special significance, but seemed to me quite interesting; as soon as I am finished I will tell you about them. Let me have your reply9 quite soon, as I will not send the copies before I have your letter. Shall I add a copy for Faraday? You know how much I admire him! If you think that he will appreciate this small attention, for it really is nothing more, it will bring me the greatest joy to give it to him.
Cordially | Your | GMagnus.
RI MS JT/1/M/23
a new edition on the deflection of projectiles: Magnus was referring to his ‘Ueber die Abweichung der Geschosse’, Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Berlin, (1852), pp. 1–23; and his paper ‘Ueber die Abweichung der Geschosse, und: Ueber eine auffallende Erscheinung bei rotirenden Körpern’, (translated as ‘On the deviation of projectiles, and: On a Sinking Phenomenon among rotating bodies’), which was published in Poggend. Annal., 164 (1853), pp. 1–29. The paper was reprinted in 1860 by Ferdinand Dümmler’s publishing house in Berlin.
Asher: Adolphus Asher.
General Sabine: Edward Sabine was a Colonel at the time, and did not become a General until 1870 (ODNB).
General Yorke: Probably Philip James Yorke (1799–1874), elected FRS in 1849. He retired from the army in 1847 as a Lieutenant-Colonel, and was Colonel for the Herefordshire Militia from 1852–9 (ODNB). Magnus appears to have over-promoted both Sabine and Yorke.
Humboldt Foundation: Prince Albert supported the establishment of the proposed Humboldt Foundation for Physical Science and Travels. At his inaugural address as President of the BAAS in Aberdeen in 1859, he declared his support for the proposed Foundation, providing £100 and heading the subscription list, ‘Address by His Royal Highness the Prince Consort’, Report of the Twenty-Ninth Meeting (Sept 1859), Brit. Assoc. Rep., 29 (London: John Murray, 1860), pp. lviii–lxix.
your paper concerning the movement of glaciers: the most recent paper was ‘On the Veined Structure of Glaciers; with Observations upon White Ice-Seams, Air-Bubbles and Dirt-Bands, and Remarks upon Glacier Theories’, Phil. Trans., 149 (1859), pp. 279–307.
your larger work on the Alps: presumably Glaciers of the Alps, published on 6 July 1860 (see also letter 1595, n. 4). Magnus may not have been aware how close it was to publication.
experiments in the field of heat: these experiments would give rise to a priority dispute between Magnus and Tyndall, and differences of interpretation over many years. See the Introduction.
your reply: no reply is extant. This volume contains only one letter from Tyndall to Magnus; the next is letter 1773.
Please cite as “Tyndall1715,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on