Darwin Correspondence Project

12 Upper Gower St

Friday 22d

Dear Miller

Pray read this note through, before you execrate me as a most troublesome fellow.

A friend of mine Lieut. Sulivan R.N. has lately surveyed the Falkland Islands.— He was there from Octob. 16th to March 12th during these months a register of thermometer & barometer, (with remarks on winds & rain) was carefully kept, at midnight, 8 A.M., noon, and 8 P.M— Lieut Sulivan is a careful observer, & accustomed to magnetical & astronomical observations. The Baro-meter was made by Newman & compared with that of Royal Soc.— Just after and before the obserations at the Falkland Isld it was compared with a good one, which was on board the Admirals Ship at Rio de Janeiro, and the difference was found the same. Moreover in the interval this Barometer was compared with that of the Royal Soc. through the means of a French Mountain Barometer taken out by Mr Pentland for his Bolivian observations.— The Thermometer I neglected to inquire about, but it was made for the voyage, & was placed with great care so as to exclude radiation. I have urged Sulivan to publish these meteorological obserations,—as in many points they appear to me to possess great interest.— The situation of the Falkland Islands, is capital in lying so far South,—and there are many phenomena,—low descent of snow line,—extension of Tropical Fauna, (as I have shown in my Journal) which are very interesting in the S. Hemisphere.— Humboldts remarks on Capt. Kings barometrical observations in Tierra del Fuego show, I suppose, the interest of any fresh obserations in the same parallel of latitude.

The upshot of this is, should you like to publish anywhere you choose & reduce these observations.— Sulivan will be delighted if you will do so,—& otherwise, I fear they will be lost, for he says he does not understand enough of Metereology to undertake them.—

If you do not think them worth your while, —will you send me a few notes, stating what kind of means would be the most advantageous & I will try & stimulate him to work them out.— If you are willing,— pray send a list of queries about the manner of obseration which Sulivan shall answer fully.—

I hope & trust they will be thought worthy of your time.— Capt. Kings obserations at Port Famine in the heart of Tierra del Fuego, & some old Spanish thermometrical ones at the Falkland Isd—are, I believe, the only ones on record from so far South.— I presume it will be easy to find some means of forwarding Sulivan's Journal to you at Cambridge.—

Excuse my troubling for the sake of science | & Believe me | Ever yours | Chas. Darwin

Sulivan would be willing to aid you, (should you so chose) in reducing the observations, but the great distance between Falmouth, & Cambridge, I should fear would throw much difficulty in the way of this—