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54 Cours Napoléon Ajaccio (Corse) - Thanks her for the cake from the birthday party; Martine [Giamarchi, a great niece] is reading the history of M. Blanc and 'Le Rameau d’or'.

54 Cours Napoléon, Ajaccio (Corse), Easter Monday - Thanks her for the photographs; reacts to her news that they are thinking of getting a bigger place, and that Sir James can work 5 hours a day; discusses arrangements to visit Paris in May; Martine [Giamarchi, a great niece]loves to read what Lilly sends; his nephew has retired and they will be going to Cannelle earlier; will be attending a wedding of the daughter of old friends and relatives.

Trin: Coll: - Gives his 'critical' comments of WW's treatise on dynamics. He considers WW's enunciation of the laws of motion 'very far preferable to any other that I have seen'. GA emphasises the importance of attaching the same meaning to the word: 'It matters not whether there is at all such a thing as velocity in the world, provided we mathematicians know what we mean by it, and always attach the same meaning to the word. This latter is essential to logical reasoning: and in a science which is not founded on hypothesis but on experiments it is of the greatest consequence that the same word shall signify the same thing in the reports of the experiments and in the mathematical properties founded on them'. Drawing upon Atwood's machine and the philosophy of Locke, GA gives his definition of velocity: 'It is measured by causing the weights (as far as is in our power) to combine during a unit of time in the same rate of motion or at the time for which we desire to find the velocity, and the space thus described is called the velocity. To me the limit of ds/dt is rather difficult to get, but I find no difficulty in conceiving a body to continue to move with the same degree of motion which it has at any time (This perhaps appears absurd - but Locke says that we can comprehend relations between two things without having a clear idea of either)'. GA gives various mathematical corrections to WW's work: 'when I see Mr Whewell led astray in the use of the differential calculus by obscure principles and a bad notation I cannot help wishing that better were substituted'.

GA does not think WW's letter to David Brewster 'at all savage': 'If I had any discussion with Brewster on these points I would certainly hit him about his bad information and his influence in acting on it. The revenues of professorships &c is one point already reproached - another is the character of the professors "Whewell, Airy & Hamilton" the only true experimenters - Does not [James?] Cumming do more than all? And did [Sir W. R. ?] Hamilton since he drew vital air ever make or meditate an experiment or trouble himself about other peoples?...I wish Babbage's non-lecturing could somehow be lugged into this controversy'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - The clock for the Northumberland telescope is nearly finished. Could WW get [James] Challis to send to [William] Simms or GA 'the breadth of the hole that is left by the side of the south pier of the polar axis for the clock weights to drop into; as that will determine the construction of our weights'. Could WW ask the President of the Council of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, whether they would present to the library of the Royal Observatory a copy of the Transactions of the Society. This will help bind the links between the Observatory and Cambridge.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - In response to Colonel Everest's pamphlet, GA wrote to the East India Company to inquire into the nature of Major Jervis's appointment. They wrote back stating that it was for the entire management of the India Survey: 'There is a charming appointment for you! Given a furious fellow like Everest on one side, and a not-over-wise one like Jervis on the other, I do not think that a better appointment could have been devised for the purpose of setting them together by the ears and dragging some innocent persons into the quarrel'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - George Peacock has advised GA to apply to WW for names of weights and measures: 'I want a good name for 1/1000 part of an acre, or 1/100 of a square [chair?], or a square of 2 1/5 yards each side'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA had intended to be in Suffolk on Tuesday but Humboldt and the King of Prussia are expected to arrive in the Thames today, and Humboldt will probably want to see the Royal Observatory - 'I should much like to shew it to him'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA sends WW the first copy of his Tides and Waves: 'I have hit your theory pretty hard, but not so hard I trust as to hurt you'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA fully understands why WW should be so much attached to his own theory on tides. GA strongly disagrees with WW 'that a fluid always tends to the condition of equilibrium and that this can be made in any way the base of a theory of motion. You would by this treat the theory of common waves (for instance) as that of water having a horizontal surface, and thus annihilate the waves altogether. Indeed I am rather surprised at this doctrine in general. When you come to particular cases, the inconsistency is remarkable. Perhaps the most curious of all the results of Laplaces's theory (I mean of course with the unnatural assumption of uniform depth and no dry land) is that of the non-existence of diurnal tides; and this stands irreconcilable with your equilibrium deduction... The cases to which it will apply may be so exceedingly restricted as to be practically useless; (e.g. Laplace's uniform depth, or my canals); nevertheless the theory is so far right: the equilibrium theory could not be right under any restriction...When you say that Laplace's theory gives us no light which the equil. theory had not given before, it seems to me that there is a moral perversion; you think that success founded on false principles is at least as good as failure founded on true principles which are imperfect (in extent, not in truth). I must protest against such a judgement in toto'. GA boils down WW's promotion of the equilibrium theory to the adverse effects WW thinks Laplace's theory would have on Cambridge students: 'I am free to say that the tone of my writings has been given by my vexation at seeing that you in every mathematical case and Lubbock in every case refer solely to the equilibrium theory'. GA does not knock cotidal lines - 'they are the greatest advance yet made in systematically representing the observations of ocean tides, but I think them inapplicable in some cases: and especially when the well marked series of waves interfere'. GA 'should be glad to lead on some attention to the theory of canal-waves with the conditions applicable to real rivers. First, I do not think that cotidal lines or mean levels can be made accurate till this is done, secondly, theory and observation can be compared to a very great extent here'. They (GA and Richarda Airy) went to see a cliff blown down at Dover organised by the engineer, Cubitt. The Herschels also went [see The Illustrated London News, 4 February 1843].

Royal Observatory Greenwich - WW is in Augustus De Morgan's 'collection of Authorities for the History of Science...in one of the early pages'. GA has had a large amount of observations made around Ireland (twenty-eight stations): 'Of course the reduction in the way in which I wish to reduce them will be a formidable work'. GA gives Cubitt's rule for blowing down chalk [see GA to WW, 24 February 1843]. WW is not attaching the names of 'Clairaut, D. Besneulli, &c...to the proper part of the subject. The equilibrium-theory as a statical theory of quiescent fluid, is very good (the proof of elliptic form &c being excellent, though the mere combination of effects of two bodies and the laws of the compound result are very simple). And I do not call the theory contemptible in itself, but as applied to the tides'. Abstractly the equilibrium theory is very good while Laplaces's is only admissable. As applied the equilibrium theory is absurd and Laplace's theory is very imperfect.: 'As to your opinion that Laplace's theory is not in the right direction because it does not at once give limits in longitude, I think that you have not sufficiently considered the order in which all results founded on differential equations proceed'. 'As to the combination of equilibrium theory with that of waves, I repudiate it absolutely... The failure of Laplace's on wave theory is merely one of mathematics and will, I hope, be conquered in time'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA has been ill with a fever as have, it seems, most people in his neighbourhood. He encloses a copy of the Royal Astronomical Society's yearly report, and wants him to read his speech on delivering a medal to Captain Smyth [William Smyth]: 'You will perceive that it was made under rather delicate circumstances'.

Flamsteed House, Greenwich -Thanks WW for the dedication in his book on education [Of a Liberal Education in General, and with Particular Reference to the Leading Studies of the University of Cambridge, 1845].

Royal Observatory Greenwich - Richarda Airy has given birth to a boy.

Flamsteed House, Greenwich - An American gentleman, Mr Gould, has been 'working as amateur in the Observatory' and is coming to Cambridge: 'He is a well informed and well mannered young man'. GA has given him a letter of introduction but has told him not to use it to seek WW out in private but only if they meet in public.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA invites WW to dine with the Astronomical Club at the Piazza Coffee House at 5.30 on Friday, followed by a meeting at Somerset House where GA will 'expound the continuation of the History of Neptune (more strange than the beginning), and the theory of Hansen's new inequalities a la mode de "Gravitation"?'

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA sends WW a melody he wrote in 1826. GA has 'lately been into Ireland to try Lord Rosse's [William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse] telescope; and on my return I came (but did not try) Lassell's [William Lassell]. Lord Rosse's telescope is not finished: "much has been done, but much remains to do". I can conceive that it will be necessary to alter entirely the mounting of the mirror. If you are in London on Friday November 10, you may at the R. Astronomical Society hear an explanation of some of the principal differences between L. Rosse and Lassell, and of some of the principal absolute methods of L. Rosse'. Could WW attend a meeting of the Board of Visitors on December 1 or 2: 'We must decide something about the objects and scale of our Magnetic Establishment, and I wish that you as physician would think of it'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA needs the reference 'to the first establishment of the simultaneity of magnetic disturbances, and to the book in which the first publication of it is to be found'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA has been presented with a great correspondence on the observation of tides, involving at least twelve stations selected between Aden and Cape Comorin: 'But how long observations were to be made, at what periods of year, with what meteorological observations these were to be connected, how long and under what regulations the latter were to be made, I cannot make out'. GA thinks 'the indication of the nature of the observations' came from WW - 'if you could rake up any recollection of the proposed plan...I should be glad to have it. It is partly necessary to guide me in answers respecting the choice and expense of instruments'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - Ransome and May acknowledge receipt of WW's letter advising payment for the paper punch [see GA to WW, 10 April 1850]. 'I understand that Lord John's announcement of the University Inquiry Commission took all parties by surprise. I do not know any thing more about it; but I conceive that it is a thing about which nobody in Cambridge needs to be alarmed or annoyed. I am convinced that Cambridge generally will come out of it; and specially that Trin: Col: would be a gainer...as far as I can gather, it is principally Oxford against which the commission is directed'.

Inverness - Regarding WW's question concerning fringes, 'I really can say nothing about them without seeing them. The dust-fringes and vapour-fringes have always mystified me a little. The others I have no doubt will come out as easily as becomes matters which usually have some very unmanageable geometry with very easy physics. But to tell the truth I do not know precisely how either set is formed'. Otto Struve is on his way to Lassell [William Lassell] at Liverpool and Lord Rosse at Parsonstown to see telescopes.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA has just sent WW the Greenwich Observations for 1848.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA sends by rail the Greenwich Observations for 1849.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA returned from Gottenberg almost three days ago '& have my eclipse very well...and very wonderful it was: - doubtless the reds belong to the sun's atmosphere (not to the moon, nor to the sun's body)'. He has not yet drawn up his account of the eclipse due to work: 'Main is gone out for holiday and I am master and man. I am as it were up to the elbows in refractions...no bad thing, occasionally, to be fairly forced to go through the details of the books: for I always find a multitude of little things which though perfectly venial are almost intolerable'. He will present his account of the eclipse at the November meeting of the Astronomical Society.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - 'Richarda Airy has determined on taking our daughter [Elizabeth Airy who is ill] to Madeira. This, I need not say, is a grave measure; the mere expense is to me not a slight thing; but the most serious part is the separation for so long a time of the head of such a family'. GA proposes to come to Cambridge at some time and among other things talk to WW about the Sydney Professorships: 'These good people in Australia suddenly sent a commission to Herschel, Malden, H. Denisen, and myself, to ship them off 3 professors'.

Flamsteed House, Greenwich - The ship Richarda Airy is to sail on 'probably will not sail outward from Southampton before December 5' [see GA to WW, 20 November 1851]. This will probably prevent GA coming to Cambridge next week.

Flamsteed House, Greenwich - GA has received a letter from his wife: 'With one day's roughness the voyage had been very smooth. They had scarcely any sickness, but Mrs Airy had suffered constant nausea; and they seem weary of the voyage' [see GA to WW, 20 November 1851].

Flamsteed House Greenwich - GA encloses the Tide Memorial for WW's signature: 'I should think that it would be best addressed to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and sent with a letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - Edward Sabine has given GA a letter from Francis Beaufort to pass to WW: 'It seems that the Admiralty of the present day are not so good men of business as some of their predecessors, and a little private action upon them is desirable'. It appears to be the opinion of all concerned that no formal application can be made: 'Therefore will you write at once privately to the Duke of Northumberland. - The Treasury have demanded the Annual Estimates earlier than usual, and there is no time to be lost'.

Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA is 'busy in the pendulum reductions, and till they are pretty far advanced or indeed completed we cannot tell how good the results are'. He sent six observers to Haston Colliery: 'I put up the apparatus and gave a few lessons, but I did not take a single observation'. GA gives a description of the tests: 'Galvonic wires were laid from one station to the other, and a telegraph needle was mounted by each clock face, and thus our clocks were compared by simultaneous signals without any necessity for chronometers'. GA is surprised at WW's report of Scoresby's remark on the non-correction of varying inductive force, and he should direct Scoresby [William Scoresby] to look at the Phil. Trans. for 1839 (p. 182-183): 'The effect of induced magnetism is very small, and I believe that ship-correcters very commonly neglect it'.