Concerns Of the Plurality of Worlds.
Collingwood - Edward Sabine will send WW a draft copy of a report on the progress of the BAAS 'Meteorological and Magnetic Committee' which JH has drawn up. If WW has any objections or anything to add send it directly to ES. JH is sure he will agree to any addition WW or Lloyd [Humphrey Lloyd] may make. JH is feeling too weak and ill to attend the BAAS meeting.
Edinburgh - JDF was surprised when the BAAS Treasurer, Mr Taylor, told him that he had been instructed not to pay certain tradesmen's bills for expenses connected with the anemometer at Edinburgh, and had thus returned them to the original parties: 'I feel sure that common courtesy would have naturally dictated any enquiry preliminary to so strong a measure as returning bills for work done, to the parties'. JDF outlines the facts of the case as he understood it: 'I do not think that the idea of my being made personally liable for this expense ever occurred to me'. The main cost came from the expense of the actual paper and printing of blank forms for more than three years: 'Are we to pay for the very materials which, after having been covered with valuable information by the labour of years, has long since passed from our hands, and was claimed by the Committee of the Association a year and a half, or more after the alleged recall of the instrument to Kew?'
Collingwood - JH meets Edward Sabine at The Geological Society on Friday to discuss the magnetic conference. If WW cannot make it he should send them his ideas on: 1/. The order of discussion. 2/. Whether the committee should propose any questions for discussion and if so what? 3/. Who should attend? JH thinks it should be open to all members of the Council of Recommendations. 4/. Who to vote in case of divisions regarding the questions? 5/. Should all foreigners be invited?
Collingwood - The director of the Russian magnetic observatories has suggested to Edward Sabine the 'propriety of a magnetic congress to be held at the British Association of Science meeting. All the major figures from around Europe would be invited to 'consider the propriety of continuing the observations beyond the end of 1845 and whether there be any occasion for altering or modifying the plan of the observations'. Sabine wants JH to write to all the relevant parties to this effect. JH does not want to do this until he has had the opinions of WW and the other members of the magnetic committee of the BAAS as well as the view of George Airy.
Letter of 8 Apr. 1857 accompanied by a draft of a letter from Whewell (Item 11).
Slough - JH playing on WW's enthusiasm for hexameters. Edward Sabine has proposed to spend £520 of the British Association's grant on a portable declination magnetometer on Weber's construction to send to [James Reddie?]. Have WW and Peacock any objection? JH sees none 'provided R. can satisfy himself that he has so completely reduced the work to regular systematic procedure'.
Edinburgh - JDF is 'quite pleased' with the 'first part' of WW's work. He was interested by WW's account of the Poissonian demonstration: 'I knew it was remodeled but have not examined it tho' I have the book. I too have been dabbling recently in Rotation, and a confounded subject it is'. Gives a copy of a memorandum he received from Lord Adare of Edward Sabine's description of the Auroras.
Pitlochry, Perthshire - JDF declines WW's invitation to the BAAS meeting at Cambridge: 'In addition to the fatigue of the journey and the bustle of the occasion I should have to meet in the section with persons who look at me with unfriendly eyes, and with whom I have not now nerve personally to contend...I have withdrawn from the struggle, though I can defend by the pen what I believe to be true. At the Association, General Sabine, Mr Hopkins and Dr Tyndall will be in the ascendant, and I should feel uncomfortable; - possibly they might also'. JDF sends the letter [still attached] he had intended to send to the Athenaeum as a reply to Tyndall's recent book [see JDF to WW, 29 June 1862].
Concerning expenses for the expedition to measure tides.
Collingwood - JH claims he thought he had sent WW 'my atoms' and encloses another off-print [JH, 'On Atoms' dated 16 Oct. 1860]. Thanks WW for his remarks on his translation of Homer's 'Iliad'. JH asks: 'What is to be done in the matter of this lamentable blow up between [George] Airy and [Edward] Sabine, - Surely A has taken up the matter in a very high handed and violent manner' [GA wants to expel ES as Chairman of the Board of Visitors to the Greenwich Observatory]. JH had been unaware that there had been any bickering at the BAAS.