| Description | He thanks Sir William for his letter and a further section of diary. On the Jacob [Herschel] letters, and William's reserving final word on publication, Hardcastle thinks he should write formally on behalf of the committee to gain publishing permission for the use of all manuscripts [of William Herschel] which may still exist, and his uncle should reply as he has described. On the possible frontispiece he wonders if the crayon sketch of the old man at the 20-foot [telescope] eyepiece might be better, or if there is another portrait to be recommended to the committee. He describes the response to the death of Sir William Huggins. He has forgotten to mention the experiments in making telescope mirrors and wonders if they are at Slough. He saw Halley [Halley's Comet] with the naked eye on Friday, describing this, and Crommelin's measurement of the bright part of it. |