To Basil Hall [7 January 1840]1
12 Upper Gower St
Tuesday
My dear Sir
I am sorry that I have caused you any inconvenience by having Krusentern’s atlas2 in my possession.—
Sulphur Isld is laid down in the chart of the Loo Choo Archipelago in
27o 56’ N
128 . 27’ E. of Greenwich. (as near as I can take the degrees off with compasses) There is, also, in the general chart of the northern Pacific a Sulphur Rock (Position Doubtful) in 31o. 28’ N. and 142o. 18’ E. Greenwich—
There is (in the plan of Japan and adjacent islands) a “I. du Volcan”, in 30o 44’ N. 130o. 24’ E of Greenwich as near as I can take them with compasses which would give nearly the same longitude, when corrected to Paris obser; as that you mention.— I have an indistinct recollection that this isld was formerly called Sulphur isld—
I presume you will find a full account of Krusentern’s authority for these positions in his memoir3 of 1827—which I have not here, but is at the Geograph. Soc.
Believe me | very truly yours | Chas. Darwin
P.S.| Of course if you want Krusentern, I will return it immediately.—
I believe there is a copy at the Admiralty should you want to see it, before I can return that belonging to the Soc.
Bibliography
Krusenstern, Adam Johann von. 1824–7. Recueil de mémoires hydrographiques: pour servir d’analyse et d’explication à l’Atlas de l’Océan Pacifique. 2 vols. St Petersburg: Impr. du Département de l'instruction publique.
Summary
CD regrets inconvenience caused by his having Royal Geographical Society’s copy of Krusenstern’s Atlas [de l’océan Pacifique (1824–7)]. Locates Sulphur Island from it.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-550
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Basil Hall
- Sent from
- London, Upper Gower St, 12
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 550,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-550.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 2