Utdrag ur Wilsons brev:
In regard Mr. Klingensterns discovery Mr. Dollond tells me and has acquainted our Royal Society with the same, that Mr. Klingenstern has made no discovery at all, for in the purpose which he communicated to us Mr. Dollond explained the whole, and acquainted the Society in what manner the second error, which the invention for correcting the first had introduced, was to be avoided. Now Dollonds object glass is a compound of two glasses, one concave and the other convex; the aberrations arising from their spherical surfaces act in contrary directions, so that if their surfaces were so proportioned that their aberrations should be equal, the[y] would of consequence destroy each other. But the real proportions requisite for producing this æquality must be found by the Solution of a mathematical problem. Now if Mr. Klingenstern had been the first in solving this problem it could not be called a discovery because the problem itself had been pointed out to him, which Dollond says Mr. Maskelyn, who is gone to observe the transit at St. Helena, will at any time wittness that Dollond solved it long ago. I wish you would present my respects to that ingenious Gentleman and acquaint him with that part of this letter which concerns him, as Mr. Dollond very much desires it.
23d March 1761 London
I anledning härav skrev Klingenstierna följande två
brev, ett till Dollond och ett till presidenten i Royal Society.
Koncepten, skrivna av hans egen hand, finnas bland
hithörande papper på Observatoriet i Uppsala samt även i de
Klingenstiernska familjepapperen. Dessa äro i det följande
betecknade med 2 och sakliga olikheter från texten i
