| RefNo | MS/547/5/120 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from J W [John Walter] Gregory to [Alfred Bray] Kempe |
| Creator | Gregory; John Walter (1864-1932); British Geologist; Explorer |
| Date | 24 September 1901 |
| Description | Thanking Kempe for his letter. He was glad to hear that [Sir George Sutherland] Mackenzie was not personally hostile, as Gregory greatly respects his work as administrator in East Africa. 'It is the most honourable chapter in Chartered Co. rule in Africa'. Gregory explains that once it was clear the topographical work was considered more important than the magnetic and meteorological observations, he could not justify his long absence on the expedition. 'The fact that [Reginald] Koettlitz is good enough for the part shows that the work to be done is comparatively elementary'.
Gregory also provides a detailed account of his grievance concerning the procurement of pendulums for the Expedition. Sir Clements Markham had made an agreement with [Pietro Paolo Giovanni Ernesto] Baracchi, the Government Astronomer of Victoria, Australia, in June 1900 for a new set of pendulums based on the set in Melbourne. However, in his recent Presidential Address to the Royal Geographical Society, he stated the pendulum observations will use instruments supplied in Britain. This has caused the Melbourne Observatory to waste its time and money. Gregory has said nothing about this publicly, and now having told Kempe he states that 'my responsibility in the matter ends'. |
| Extent | 2p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Notes | Mackenzie was the administrator of Zanzibar from 1888 to 1890, while it was under control of the Imperial British East Africa Company |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedRecord | MS/547/5/121 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA1348 | Gregory; John Walter (1864 - 1932); geologist and naturalist | 1864 - 1932 |
| NA6638 | Kempe; Sir; Alfred Bray (1849 - 1922) | 1849 - 1922 |