| Ref No | LDGSL/838/H/20/4 |
| Title | Murchison correspondence: letter from John Frederick William HERSCHEL |
| Date | 8 Mar 1835 |
| Level | Item |
| Extent | 1 letter |
| Format | Document |
| Description | Murchison correspondence: letter from John Frederick William HERSCHEL, Feldhausen, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, 8 Mar 1835. Re: Thanks for the 'synopsis of the strata beneath the coal in Hereford'; Murchison so closely identified with geology now, Herschel has nothing to report as the immediate vicinity is barren of geological interest apart from his theory that the general aspect of the country appears to show that the ancient sea-level was 1000 or 1500 feet above the present; there are no fossils hereabouts but they are supposed to be abundant further north; not keen to visit the 'more disturbed state' of the more distant parts of the Colony; description of a 'magnificent' granite dyke cutting through a granite mass called the 'Paarl' [with rough thumbnail sketch]; has collected a great mass of astronomical data as the 'region of the sky is rich and abounds in striking and singular phenomena'. |
| Access Conditions | Access is by appointment only. Please contact the Archivist for further information. |
| Language | English |
| ArchNote | Description by John Thackray; revised by Caroline Lam. |
| CreatorName | HERSCHEL | Sir | John Frederick William | first baronet | 1792-1871 | mathematician and astronomer |