| Reference number | MS/257/1/144 |
| Alternative reference number | Sa.144 |
| Previous numbers | ES1/22/144 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Pieter Adrian Bergsma, Utrecht to Edward Sabine |
| Date | 16 August 1860 |
| Description | Bergsma thanks Sabine for the offer of a gimbal stand without which his ‘Fox’s’ would have been useless on a ship. Bergsma is trying to get a ship that will stop at a station on its way to Batavia [colonial name of the capital of the Dutch East Indies, now Jakarta, Indonesia], in order to examine the constants of the instrument. However merchant ships rarely stop during a voyage. Bergsma informs Sabine that a Dutch astronomer Professor [Frederick] Kaiser has invented a new fluid compass for the use in boats this year. Bergsma discusses the difficulty arising from the expansion of the absolute alcohol with Dent’s fluid compass, and compares how Kaiser has avoided this. Bergsma notes the illness and death of Mr Jones, and the unfortunate consequences this has had on his and Dr [Christopher Henryk Diderich] Buys Ballot’s unifilars. Bergsma received a magnetic instrument from [Moritz] Meyerstein at Göttingen, and hopes the construction of their magnetic house will be complete this week. |
| Extent | 4p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Physical description | Ink on paper |
| Access status | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | Name | Dates |
| NA8279 | Sabine; Sir; Edward (1788 - 1883) | 1788 - 1883 |