Please to give my love, etc., etc.

Your affectionate brother,

William J. Wills.

. . .

The following reply to his mother alludes to the circumstance, which she had mentioned, of an aurora borealis, having appeared in England.  This completes his letters for 1859.

Flagstaff Observatory, December 18th, 1859.

My dear mother,

Your letter of the 17th of October arrived here by the Columbian only three or four days after time, which is a wonderful piece of punctuality for that miserable old tub.  I am glad that you were so much pleased with the sketch of the Observatory that I sent you.  I now forward a photograph made by a friend of mine, which will convey a better idea than the other of the appearance of our habitation, etc.  You will find an explanation of the various parts of the picture written in pencil on the back of each respectively.  You had better have it mounted on a piece of cardboard by some one who is accustomed to mounting photographs; when nicely done it looks twice as well.  It was intended that we should all have been taken in this picture, but owing to some mismanagement, no notice was given, so no one was outside at the time.  Your remarks about the aurora borealis of the 12th of October were very interesting and valuable.  We knew that there was an aurora there, but of course could not tell where it was visible.  You little thought that while you were looking at the vibrations of those beautiful streamers of red and white light, I was watching sympathetic oscillations of little steel magnets, which we suspended by silk threads, in the underground magnetic house that you see the top of in the foreground of the picture.  The magnets were sometimes moving about so rapidly that I could scarcely read them; and although the aurora was with you nearly at an end probably about ten o’clock, yet the magnets did not resume their normal position for nearly twenty-four hours after.  You will see from this the advantage to be derived from noting all particulars with regard to these phenomena, whenever one has an opportunity of seeing them; for we must always consider the possibility of their not being visible at places where there are observatories, on account of clouds and other causes.  One great point that has yet to be satisfactorily determined is, whether the effect on a magnet at one end of the world is simultaneous with the auroral discharge at the other; or whether a certain time is required for the effect to be communicated through the earth.  I had a letter from my father yesterday, enclosing the one you sent him.  By-the-by, this day week is Christmas-day; and, if I am not mistaken, your birthday as well as Hannah’s is near about this time.  She must be thirteen or fourteen; but, upon my honour, I do not certainly know my own age.  Was I born in January 1834 or 1835?  I wish you all may have a merry Christmas and many returns of the same.  Please to give my love as usual, and