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Royal Observatory Greenwich - The tide observations Mr Maclear [Thomas Maclear] refers to are 'assuredly observations made at the Cape of Good Hope. Whether they have yet been sent to England, I do not know'. They will be sent to Francis Beaufort and not GA.

Feldhausen, near Wynberg - No information to give WW on tides. Problem with taking observations: 'At Cape Town it was clearly impracticable to do anything - In bad weather the jetty is too much exposed and in fine nobody could be got who could be depended on to keep the register'. JH and [Thomas] Maclear have been waiting for the new self-registering apparatus to arrive [see JH to WW, 4 July 1835]. He has been working very hard to get the first six hours of his principal catalogues (the nebula and double stars) ready to send back to England in a reduced and arranged state: 'These 6 hours are by far the heaviest in the nebulae as both the Magellanic clouds come into them and I trust it will be found that my analysis of these extraordinarily complicated objects is so nearly complete that in all probability very few additional nebulae in either of them will hereafter be detected except with an instrument of superior optical power to the 20 feet'. The Duke of Northumberland has placed at his disposal a 'princely magnitude' to assist him in his astronomical work. JH has rediscovered the 6th Satellite of Saturn. It will not be possible to see the 7th Satellite with the 20ft reflector: 'He is destined for the Great Russian Refractor (whenever it shall exist)'. JH has got a beautiful series of sun spots and devised a theory of them.

Feldhausen near Wynberg - JH received WW's paper about the tides which was read at the 12th meeting of the Cape Philosophical Society ['On the Empirical Laws of the Tides in the Port of London: with Some Reflections on the Theory', Phil. Trans., 124, 1834]. Maclear has had no trouble getting the heights of the tides - which are self registered by sliders, but has had immense problems getting the correct times of high and low water due to labour problems. It has therefore been approved to take mid-water rising and falling readings instead. JH gives the reasons why this is an improvement. He also gives a short critique of WW's ideas about the birth-place and age of the tide. Thanks WW for the account of the Edinburgh [BAAS] meeting. JH's astronomical work is going very well: 'my list of Planetary nebula and double stars goes on swelling'. The 'savages' on the last frontier are causing the colonists numerous problems. JH hopes Richard Jones has got Malthus's Professorship.

Feldhausen near Wynberg - JH is sorry to hear of the dissension at Cambridge concerning management and discipline: 'I read your pamphlet on College discipline - nothing surely could be more temperate and apparently more reasonable' [Remarks on Some Parts of Mr Thirlwall's Two Letters on the Admission of Dissenters to Academical Degrees, 1834]. Maclear has been trying to set up tidometers at Simon's Bay and the Cape Town Jetty. JH has sent WW's paper on cotidal lines to Lloyd of Mauritius with a request to observe tides there ['Essay Towards a First Approximation to a Map of Cotidal Lines', Phil. Trans, 123, 1833]. They have made JH President of a Literary and Philosophical Society at Cape Town: 'I mean to get organised if possible working Committees, chiefly to collect data for other people to combine (for we have no thinkers among us - yet)'. JH gives his analysis of the Cape climate. He has very successfully repolished his two telescope mirrors: 'in one of our superb nights (after the rain) 800 was my working power - 1200 a good power and 2000 was borne and gave round disks to Mars!!'

Collingwood - Business concerning Thomas Maclear's testimonial and a mistake regarding a provision for his retirement. WW is to annex his signature where indicated [see JH to WW, 23 Dec. 1862]. Could WW get Challis's [James Challis] signature also and then return the form to JH.

Collingwood - JH will be sending WW 'a modified copy of the Maclear [Thomas Maclear] memorial', all he has to do is sign it and return it to JH. C. P. Smyth [Charles Piazzi Smyth] has informed JH that there 'is a provision (by superannuation fund deduction) for his retirement' which means JH has to cancel what has already been done.