Scope and Contents

Undated financial accounts for various scientific studies, including the time ball at Deal; transit of Venus, 1874; New Lunar theory; Arctic expedition; Loan Exhibition of Scientific Instruments at South Kensington; reductions of Sydney, Roorkee, Adelaide and Melbourne; colonial transit of Venus results; longitude of Vienna and Berlin; and Mr Gill's expedition.

Scope and Contents Letters and papers concerning new inventions; trials of existing and improved instruments, especially the transit circle, altazimuth and equatorial telescopes; improved techniques; and adjustments to various instruments. The correspondents include W.H.M. Christie, G.G. Stokes, J. Glaisher, Sir D. Gill, C.V. Walker, G.M. Whipple, W. De La Rue, W. Huggins, A.C. Ranyard, F.A.T. Winnecke, J.T.R. Robinson, A.V. Auwers, A. d'Abbadie, Y. Villarceau, J.R. Hind, W.B. Clarke and Sir W. Thomson. There...

Scope and Contents Correspondence and related papers concerning the Government grants administered by the Royal Society.(1) Correspondence on Government grants, 1887-1895Letter from G.G. Stokes requesting a £300 grant on behalf of D. Gill, 1887.Letter from M. Forster suggesting a meeting to discuss the merits of the claim, 1888.Letter from J. McLaren on behalf of W. Peck, 1888, regarding a grant towards a photographic survey of the northern skies, with Christie's...

Scope and Contents Correspondence on different aspects of the work of the Cape Observatory:(1) Cape Observatory InstrumentsCorrespondence between G.B. Airy, W. De La Rue and D. Gill regarding the proposed large equatorial for the Cape, 10 April - 13 November 1880, with Airy's report to the Admiralty of 10 November 1880.Correspondence between G.B. Airy and J. Simms regarding iron stands for small transits, including diagrams, 21-28 July 1880.Correspondence between G.B. Airy and...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding meteorology and the sighting of meteor showers, divided into eight sections:Correspondence between D. Gill and the Meteorological Office, London, regarding the supply of equipment, barometers, etc., to the Cape Observatory, 18 March 1879 - 5 April 1884.Correspondence between D. Gill, the Meteorological Commission and various individuals on the preparation of annual weather reports and measurements made, 30 May 1879 - April 1895.Correspondence...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding photographic magnitudes in relation to astrographic charts:Correspondence with E.C. and W.H. Pickering of Harvard College concerning various aspects of astrographic charts and the determination of photographic magnitudes, 1909-1912, with Circular No. 150 on standard photographic magnitudes of the polar sequence and photographs of the north polar sequence stars.Correspondence with various individuals concerning photographic magnitudes, 1911, with...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding the distribution of Cape publications by the Astronomer Royal at the Cape to various individuals, other observatories and universities. There is also correspondence concerning the sending of copies of the volumes to the Cape, 16 October 1903 - 25 February 1916, with a distribution list for the publications prepared by David Gill. There is a separate section on the binding of the Cape heliometer observations, 1881-1883, and the purchase of books and publications for...

Scope and Contents Correspondence relating to publications of the Cape Observatory, including correspondence between W.H.M. Christie and the West India Docks and agents, 30 September 1896 - 9 December 1901; requests for copies of various Cape publications and arrangements made with the Observatory to meet these requests, 3 March 1903 - 17 July 1911; correspondence between the Admiralty, Christie and D. Gill on the distribution of publications and whether it should be increased to include more observatories and...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding the appointment of staff at the Cape Observatory:Letter on the appointment of a mechanic and two Kroomen, 24 August 1880.Correspondence regarding the appointment of W.H. Cox as Junior Assistant, January-September 1883.Correspondence concerning the appointment of J. Read, R. Woodgate and A. Cochrane as computers, and general correspondence between D. Gill and W.H.M. Christie on the difficulty of finding computers, March 1889 - February...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding the Anglo-German Boundary Survey, with an index. The volume is divided into six sections:Preliminary correspondence regarding the survey, 14 September 1896 - 9 June 1900, including instructions for D. Gill to go to Berlin to confer with the German authorities, 25 September 1896, and arrangements for financing the work. A letter of 20 April 1900 mentions the relief of Mafeking.Correspondence with the Consul General for Germany, Cape Town, on setting up...

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding the Anglo-German Boundary Survey, with an index. The volume is divided into ten sections:Correspondence with foreign governments on the expedition for fixing the frontier between German South West Africa and British Bechuanaland, 16 May 1904 - 5 September 1906.Correspondence with the High Commission, including reports from Major Laffan on work being carried out; the appointment of an assistant, Mr B. de Vos Heathie, 19 December 1902; and part of the...

Scope and Contents Volume I of a series of correspondence regarding the visit of the British Association to South Africa in 1905. This volume contains correspondence with various organisations and individuals in England. It begins with a letter from D. Griffin, Secretary of the British Association, asking if it is possible to meet in Cape Town, with a reply from Gill stating that this is not possible due to Boer unrest. Subsequent items include Gill's letter of 6 August 1902 making a formal invitation to the...

Scope and Contents Volume III of a series of correspondence regarding the visit of the British Association to South Africa in 1905. These letters relate largely to the section of the visit which involved the Transvaal. They include correspondence between David Gill and the High Commissioner's Office, the South African Association for the Advancement of Science, the Colonial Secretary's Office, the British Association and the British Association Reception Committee in Johannesburg. There are also minutes of...

Scope and Contents Volume IV of a series of correspondence regarding the visit of the British Association to South Africa in 1905, divided into the following sections:1. Correspondence with Natal, 8 August 1902 - 8 March 1906, including correspondence between David Gill, the Natal Governor, the Secretary of the British Association and the South African Association for the Advancement of Science; details of the timetable at Natal; press cuttings, May 1905; and details of various arrangements for the...

Scope and Contents

Correspondence regarding the operations of the Cape Observatory. An index at the beginning lists the following sections: History of the Observatory; Admiralty - Official Instructions; Reports to the Admiralty; Leave of Absence; Appointments and Retirements of Assistants; Hydrographer; Commander-in-Chief, Simon's Town; Money, Grants and Salaries; Appointment of Her Majesty's Astronomer; Estimates; Sir David Gill; and Miscellaneous.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence regarding the operations of the Cape Observatory. An index at the beginning lists the following sections: History of the Observatory; Admiralty - Instructions; Reports to the Admiralty; Her Majesty's Astronomer - Leave of Absence; Assistants and Established Staff - Appointments and Resignations; Hydrographer; Commander-in-Chief, Simon's Town; Money, Grants and Salaries; Estimates; Correspondence with Sir David Gill; and Miscellaneous.

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding the Cape Observatory and Survey, divided into eight sections:Official correspondence between G.B. Airy, E.J. Stone and the Admiralty, 28 March 1876 - 3 November 1877, including a report on the Cape Observatory by Stone for 11 August 1874 to 31 August 1876, with remarks by Airy; a copy of the 'Cape Catalogue of Stars for 1840'; and letters concerning the salaries of those working at the Cape.Official correspondence, 31 January - 12 December 1879,...

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Letters regarding the founding of an observatory at Durban. Most of the correspondence is between D. Gill and R. Pett, but there is also some correspondence with Grubb of Belfast.

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Correspondence concerning the Geodetic Survey of Rhodesia, including correspondence between D. Gill and Earl Grey on the initiation and general progress of the survey; a letter from the Acting Administrator, Salisbury, to Gill (fos 121-122), giving instructions for the primary triangulation to be carried out; correspondence with the Surveyor-General, Salisbury, 1897-1900 (fos 153-310); and correspondence with the British South Africa Company, 1897-1900 (fos 311-781).

Scope and Contents Correspondence, telegrams and other papers concerning the Trigonometrical Survey of South Africa. The volume is indexed at the front and each piece of correspondence is numbered. The contents include the following items:A printed pamphlet of correspondence, despatches, etc., 1880, relating to the survey, indexed and with a list of contents. There are several attached maps. Originals of D. Gill's submissions to the Governor-General.Reports by the Hydraulic Engineer on...

Scope and Contents Correspondence and other papers on the Topographic Survey of South Africa and the Arc of the Meridian, divided into four sections:'Topographical Survey of British South Africa': correspondence and reports, 1902-1905, relating to D. Gill's proposal and plans for the topographical survey, including the 'Proceedings of Congress' held at Cape Town, March 1904, and Minutes of the Inter-Colonial Council Select Committee on Surveys, 7 June 1905.'Miscellaneous': letters to D. Gill...

Scope and Contents Correspondence of David Gill with various individuals regarding work on the Southern Durchmusterung, divided into sections by correspondent:Professor J.C. Adams, Cambridge, 13 March 1888.Dr A. Auwers, Berlin, 9 May - 1 June 1887.A.A. Common, Ealing, 20 June 1887 - 7 July 1899.Thomas Dollmeyer, London, 21 November 1882 - 9 November 1887.T. and P. Henry, Paris, 13 February - 20 May 1885.M.L. and W. Huggins, London, 22 January 1883 - 25 September...

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Correspondence of David Gill regarding the transit of Venus of 6 December 1882, as observed from various stations in South Africa, including discussion of weather conditions, particularly rainfall, and the instruments to be used. The volume is indexed and divided into sections. The first section concerns the selection of sites. There is also a printed sheet of financial instructions to observers (piece no. 60) and a printed booklet, 'Instruction To Observers' (piece no. 72).

Scope and Contents Correspondence regarding the operation of various time signals, divided into the following sections:'Time Signals. General Manager of Telegraphs': correspondence between D. Gill and managers of the Telegraph Department on the operation or failure of the time balls, 1879-1890.'Time Signal and Clocks at Cape Town Docks': correspondence between D. Gill and the Table Bay Dock and Breakwater Trustees, Cape Town, concerning the operation of the clocks at the dock and the time ball,...

Scope and Contents Correspondence relating to the transit of Venus, 1874. The correspondents include J.C. Adams, W. De La Rue (with a photograph), R.L.J. Ellery, B.A. Gould, R. Grant, Sir W. Huggins, Lord Lindsay, Sir D. Gill, Sir J.N. Lockyer, Sir T. Maclear, Dr R. Copeland, R. Main, E.J. Stone, C. Meldrum, N.R. Pogson, R.A. Proctor, H.C. Russel, C. Todd, Major Tennant, Dr Oppolzer, J.C. Houzeau, J.A.C. Oudemans, P.A.E. Laugier, A. d'Abbadie, C.E. Delaunay, U.J.J. Le Verrier, O. Struve, Dr P.J.E. Janssen, G....