Letters to Thomas Maclear from F.H. Aspin; the Colonial Office; the Washington Naval Observatory; William Bond of London; the Meteorological Office; C.D. Fischer; F.T. Read; T. Risler; C. Bell; L. Adamson; I.M. Grant; A. de Schmidt; the Cape Telegraph Office; R. Noble; I.A. Thwaits; R.D. Hodgson; H. Waltham; W. Stow; [W.] Freeman; H. Richards; the Perth Observatory; Creichton Bell; F.C. Dick; T. Kyd; W. Roberts; and Der Commission für die Vorberathung de für die Beobachtung des Venusdurchgangs von 1874 zu ergreifenden Mass regeln. The subjects covered include the Transit of Venus, 1874; the trigonometrical survey of Cape Province; applications for posts at the Cape Observatory; the L'Aguhas Light House; chronometers; time balls; astronomical calculations; batteries; telescopes; Parliament; requests to visit the Observatory; fog; lightning conductors; insulators; and shipwrecks.