London 22nd June 1864
My dear Tyndall,
I am in fault for your paper.1 I had it at Cambridge and looked for it there but not finding it and hearing from Mrs Airy2 that I had left something behind me at the observatory3 where I had been spending a couple of days (she did not say what it was) I thought most likely it was that and wrote to her accordingly. I recollected having had some papers (I do not recollect what) on the toilet table, nor was I aware that I left them behind. I heard from Mrs Airy today and though she does not actually name the mysterious article I gather from her description that it is what is vulgarly called a nightshirt, so my hopes in that quarter are disappointed. I am very sorry that I should have put you to this inconvenience and will have a good hunt when I get back—I miss also two <herafter LT Typescript only> proofs Phil. Trans. which I doubt not are with your paper wherever that is. During the Prince’s visit4 my house was a good deal put about to find room and it may have been thus that the paper was misplaced.
Yours very truly | G. G. Stokes
RI MS JT/1/S/234
RI MS JT/1/TYP/4/1389
Your paper: see letter 2097, n. 3. See also letters 2099, 2114, 2115, 2117, 2119, and 2136.
Mrs Airy: Richarda Airy (née Smith, 1804–75), wife of George Biddell Airy, the Astronomer Royal (ODNB).
observatory: the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
Prince’s visit: perhaps Albert Edward (1841–1910), Prince of Wales, eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (ODNB).
Please cite as “Tyndall2112,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on