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'It is as you say quite a scandal that no ascent has been made for scientific purposes since that of Gay Lussac. Though I hope when you see my paper on Refraction you will admit that this problem is nearly put at rest, for I make observations of steam, vapour of Alcohol and confirm my law of the connexion between pressure and temperature, which is quite different from what has been supposed'. JWL has had a long discussion with the aeronaut Mr Green: 'It would not do to set about the thing with less than £1,500 [to make a balloon to investigate the atmosphere?]. JWL is annoyed at John Herschel for leaving out all notice of his work on lunar theory in his address to the Astronomical Society.

St. Augustin - HC is 'now flourishing about in Paris'. He went to the Institut yesterday where his 'friend Biot' introduced him to, among others, Laplace, Delambre, Arago, Cuvier, Gay Lussac and Humboldt. It is a custom for the savants to have soirées one morning a week for their friends and strangers - Humboldt has offered to take HC to Laplace's tomorrow. He has gained entry into this elite circle thanks to a lady who talks Persian and brought letters of introduction to Humboldt, and through his own acquaintance with Thomas Edward Bowdich [famed for his travels into Africa] currently living in Paris.