Item 25 - Letter from John Herschel

4 pp

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.