43 Sackville St.
Wednesday Feb. 20th
My dear Father.
I went to hear this lecture about atlantic telegraph at the Royal Institution <1> but did not understand much about it. It was very crowded and very hot in the theatre. I have seen the designs for the new Law Courts. <2> I do not like any of them altogether, but I think for appearances Scott, Lockwood & Burges <3> are the best. I believe the decision is understood to hang between Scott & Lockwood. Professor Kelland <4> told me that the article in the North British on Hamilton <5> was written by Tait. <6> I have nt [sic] heard much about politics here. Can you send me the proof of your proposition about the areas of grand trapeziums formed by omitting the sides of a pentagon and the and the one about arcs of a circle, I should like to see when it is convenient to you to send it me. The puzzling point in quaternions at first start seems to be that you are dealing with a different notation to those generally in use.
Your affect son
Charles.
[envelope:]
H Fox Talbot, Esq
13 Gt. Stuart St
Edinburgh
Notes:
1. Royal Institution, London.
2. The chosen design was by George Edmund Street (1824–1881).
3. Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811–1878), Gothic Revival architect; Henry Francis Lockwood (1811–1878); William Burges (1827– 1881).
4. Prof Philip Kelland (1808–1879), Scottish mathematician.
5. Sir William Rowan Hamilton (1805–1865), Irish mathematician.
6. Prof Peter Guthrie Tait (1831–1901), Scottish mathematician.