LtE
in CMO #268
From David
STRAUSS
® . . . . . . . . . Dear Masatsugu,
Thanks
very much for your interesting email of Dec. 22. Let me respond to a few of the most important
points.
I too have noted the amazing interrelations between
the New Englanders who visited Japan in the late 19th
century. As you suggested, George Agassiz is the
grandson of Louis who was Edward Morse's professor. I would not at all be
surprised if Henry Bigelow is somehow related to William Sturgis, but, of
course, the latter had no children, so Henry would have to be a cousin several
times removed rather than a grandchild. But, unfortunately, I know nothing
about the Bigelow family tree in the 20th century.
On the matter of how to write Bigelow in katakana,
I can be of no help. Someone once told me that there are very clear rules about
how to convert English words into katakana so I was surprised to learn from you
that there might be several ways to do the transcription.
I am very interested in the claim that
following Lowell and Agassiz's ascent of Ontakésan, they floated down the Tenriugawa.
The chronology suggests that this is possible, as I indicated, since Lowell dated a letter from Tokyo on Aug. 16, 1891, but I have never seen any
evidence that the trip was taken. I know, however, that Mr. Toshio Sato is a
very good researcher and I hope that he will be able to supply the hard
evidence we have been missing up to this point.
Agreed that the problem with
Lowell's science was that he
was not sufficiently critical in collecting his evidence. He was too ready to accept the images which
he saw in the telescope as actual representations of the surface features of
Mars rather than considering other possible explanations of those images.
Thanks for sending the photo of the monument
to Griffis on the Asuwagawa.
Interesting to note that the monument was erected in 1948, shortly after the
end of the Pacific War which may indicate a desire to encourage better
relations between the U.S. and Japan during the Occupation.
Again, my best wishes for a happy and
prosperous New Year. I hope that we will have the chance to meet one of these
days.
(23
December 2002
email)
David STRAUSS (Kalamazoo
College, MI,
USA)
strauss@kzoo.edu
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