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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to George Gipps, dated at Feldhausen

Reference number: HS/19/72

Date: 26 December 1837

Description

Autographed draft letter, signed or initialed by sender. Intricate enquiries at Paramatta observatory are a waste of time. Instruments are not first class. Energy would be better spent cataloguing smaller magnitude stars and measuring double stars. Urges triangulation survey, important for Asian and Pacific geography, and investigation of weights and measures, to avoid litigation as Australia develops.

Reference number
HS/19/72
Earliest possible date
26 December 1837
Page extent
11 pages
Format
Manuscript
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Creator name

John Frederick William Herschel

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Citation

John Frederick William Herschel, Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to George Gipps, dated at Feldhausen, 26 December 1837, HS/19/72, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/hs_19_72/draft-letter-from-sir-john-herschel-to-george-gipps-dated-at-feldhausen, accessed on 19 August 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/hs_19_72/draft-letter-from-sir-john-herschel-to-george-gipps-dated-at-feldhausen

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  • Herschel Letters

    This collection of nearly 10,900 letters, drafts, copies and notes is the largest repository of scientific correspondence from and to Sir John Herschel, leading figure of Victorian science.

    Dates: 1807 - 1875

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