Additional Manuscripts a

Thanks WW for his letter and hopes he received his account of obtaining sparks from a natural magnet [see JDF to WW, 18 April 1832]. JDF 'was horrified with your self accuastions about the length of your report': JDF's meteorological report is in excess of 130 pages ['Report upon the Recent Progress and Present State of Metrology, drawn up at the Request of the BAAS', 1832]: 'If I understood at all the objects of these reports, - not to be mere showy trifles adapted to public reading, but as you stated in your letter to Mr Harcourt [Vernon Harcourt] of such a kind that 'scientific students may know where to begin their labours and that those who pursue one branch of science may know how to communicate with the enqiries in another''. After the BAAS meeting at Oxford JDF is going abroad and he hopes WW will give him any hints for experimental enquiry or observations: John Herschel is going to send him two of his instruments for measuring the intensity of solar radiation [the actinometer].