[CHILE] A Letter by William R. Taylor to Lieutenant James Melville Gilliss. 1856

Description: CHILE Taylor, William Rufus. Autograph Letter Signed by William Rufus Taylor to Lieutenant James Melville Gilliss (1811-1865) U.S. Navy Congratulating Gilliss' on his Successful Expedition i.e., the U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere 1849-52 and thanking him for the "beautiful and interesting books" which were most likely copies of the results of the expedition which were published 1855-6. Newport R.I.: April 17th 1856. Small Quarto (ca. 20 x 16cm). One page pp. Brown ink on wove paper, verso blank. Letter with a minor crease of upper left corner, otherwise in near fine condition. The letter reads:"My Dear Sir, Upon my return to this place, ten days ago, after an absence of several months, I found here the beautiful and interesting books that you did me the favour to send me. Permit me to offer you my best thanks for this mark of remembrance. I shall read them with much interest. Often during your absence I thought of your labouring in that distant field, & I sincerely congratulate you upon the successful results of your expedition. Will you be pleased to present my respectful compliments to Mrs. Gilliss. Believe me sincere esteem. Yours very truly, Wm. Rufus Taylor."Gilliss a naval astronomer and founder of the United States Naval Observatory, in August 1848 "succeeded in obtaining $5,000 from Congress for a naval astronomical expedition to Chile. The chief purpose was to determine the solar parallax--and thus the scale of the solar system--by observations of Mars and Venus. From August 1849 until its return in November 1852, Gilliss headed this expedition, again making observations far beyond the original purposes of the expedition and leaving behind the foundation for the Chilean National Observatory"(ANBO). The author of the letter is most likely William Taylor (1821-1902), evangelist and missionary bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church and author of "California Life Illustrated" (pub. 1858) amongst several other books. "Taylor was one of the most energetic and influential missionary leaders in nineteenth-century Methodism. He was especially responsible for the spread of Methodism in Australia, India, South America, and Africa. Among his most notable accomplishments was his commitment to the principle of indigenous leadership and self-supporting churches"(ANBO). #MB29 ABOUT USGlobus Books is an independent San Francisco-based bookshop and a member of the American Booksellers Association and the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and has been in business since 1971. Globus Rare Books and Archives is the department within Globus Books that specializes in rare travel and exploration related items from around the world with an emphasis on the Americas, the Pacific and Russian explorers and travellers.GUARANTEEAll items are guaranteed to be as described. Purchases may be returned for any reason within ten days of receipt for a full refund or credit, but please notify us of any returns in advance. Returns should be adequately packed and insured.SHIPPINGWe offer free shipping worldwide on any purchases over 500 USD. All orders are properly packed with care and attention and shipped within 2-3 business days.FEEDBACKWe leave feedback for buyers once they have left feedback for us.Please contact us immediately in the case of a rare problem and we will try our best to resolve any issues promptly.Customer satisfaction is very important to us.PAYMENT METHODSWe accept Mastercard, Visa, Paypal, Venmo, bank transfers and $US checks.

Price: 525 USD

Location: San Francisco, California

End Time: 2025-02-01T11:00:17.000Z

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