This notebook contains a record of Charles and Mary Lyell’s visit to the United States of America, from the end of the voyage on RMS Britannia and their arrival in Boston, to the beginning of their travels throughout parts of New England. The Lyells travel from Boston, Massachusetts to Lynn, Salem, Wenham Lake to New Hampshire, Portsmouth and the White Mountains finally to Maine, Kennebeck [sic Kennebec] River, Gardiner and Portland.
The notes are comprised of commentary about politics and religion, in New England and the United States more broadly, as well as field notes and observations, including some sketches, of the natural history of the visited regions. Notes are in ink and pencil. The index is located in the back of the notebook on pages 111, 113-119, and continued on 109, 107.

Content warning: Lyell uses his Scientific Notebooks to gather evidence, based on both his own observation, by reviewing other people's works, by correspondence, asking questions and analyses. The language used in this index is historical, can be discriminatory and may cause offence.

The following table of contents is Lyell's own words, copied from Lyell's own "Index", found at the end of the notebook, transcribed from digital surrogates using the platform Transkribus.
When known, Lyell's abbreviations and contractions have been expanded using brackets [ ]. Abbreviations in standard use, such as two letter abbreviations for United States place names, have not been expanded. When writing is unclear, and transcription is not possible, this is denoted using [...]. Quotation marks are Lyell's own notation for ditto, as is the abbreviation "do". The inclusion of [sic] indicates the misspelling of a word is deliberate and taken from the notebook. There are numerous margin notations in this index. A cross ‘X’ is used to mark a pencil cross made at certain entries. It is not clear if this notation is written contemporaneously or later. A date written in the left margin has been inserted at the beginning of the appropriate section.

Index. 121.
p. 1 X Squall & lightning in Britannia Sept. 14.
p. 2 X Unitarians. D. Webster & Bancroft trimming
[Note: p.2 is a blank page, this commentary is on p. 3]
p. 3 X Persecution of unitarians.
X Unitarians & Independents in N[ew]. England
p. 5 X more learned than Episcopalians
X Everett thinks Episc[opalian]. proselytes made by
p. 5 monotonous prayers where no liturgy
p. 5 X - [Everett] doubts whether preaching at Reform[ation]. was a gain
p. 7 Unitarian writers & sects, influence of
p. 9, 15 & 11-17 X Storm of Sept. 14th.
p. 9 Lead mines in U.S. have cheapened lead
p. 11 & 16 X Newfoundland in sight. Sept. 15th.
p. 11 X Seals drifted by ice to South.
p. 11 Slaves price of, indemnity why imposs[ible]
p. 13 Coloured man not visited in N[ew] Orleans
p. 13 Abolition movement, effect of
p. 13 - [Abolition movement] Colonization scheme
p. 13 Slaves, negros will be driven out
p. 13 & 16 X Iceberg seen in Brittannia [sic Britannia]
p. 15 X Storm of Sept. 14.
p. 16 Variation of Compass. Halifax etc. p. 17 X Newfoundland seen, coast of
p. 17 X Iceberg seen, as at p. 15
p. 17 X Storm of Sept 14-
p. 18 X Great Bank & icebergs on
p. 18 X Corresponding passage of Britannia 1844
p. 18 & 24 Engine works well when ship heels [‘24 &’ interlined (at end of line)]
p. 20 Temper[ature]. of water, Iceberg near
p. 20 X Gales 1st, & 2d. in Sept[ember].
p. 20 X Gulls on Banks far from land
p. 22 & 26 X Cape Race – rate of sailing [‘26 &’ interlined (at end of line)]
p. 22 X Storm of 14th. Sept.
p. 22 & 33, 59 X Engine room & Index of Britannia [‘59’ interlined (at end of line)]
p. 28 Emmerson [sic Emerson], seceder, copies Carlisle [sic Carlyle]
p. 28 Dwight's theology & tour [‘& tour’ interlined] used in England
p. 28 Wisconsin a member of Legis[la]t[ure]. Shot
p. 31 X Steamer safer than liner in a storm.
p. 31 Cumberland, M[aryland]. Coal not good for steam
p. 31 Land bought in Wisconsin by Everetts c[ompan]y.
p. 33 Anthracite furnace for –
p. 33 Tappan & Abolitionists for Polk
p. 35 X Conservatives most numerous, Everett
p. 35 & 37 Mechanics when tired like speechifying [Note: ‘37 &’ added at end of line]
p. 35 X Reaction ag[ainst]. Jackson 1841 how caused
X D Webster & others sacrifices of.
p. 37 X Univ[ersal]. Suff[rage].
p. 37 X Annexation carried ag[ainst] majority of nation.
p. 37 X Newfoundland aspect of
p. 38 X Distance we went from Liverpool to Boston.
p. 39 A biography to be worth any thing sh[ould]. not be publ[ished]. Note: p. 39 is a blank page, this commentary is on p. 38.]
p. 39, 42 X Early new England navigators with[out] charts [Note: ‘42|’ interlined at end of line]
p. 39 No man written down except by himself [Note: p. 39 is a blank page, this commentary is on p. 38 (and 42 as noted).]
p. 40, 42 X Boston harbours frozen in 18 cutting out [Note: ‘42’ added below 40 in line]
p. 42 X Bostonian & N[ew]. Engl[and]. early poor merchants
p. 44 X Cutting out of Britannia – ice so far S[outh].
p. 46, 52 X in spite of tide. [Note: ‘52 -’ added at end of line]
p. 48 X Ice boats skating or navigating the ice.
p. 50, 52 X Lightning conductors not used in Steamers [Note: ‘52.’ interlined at end of line]
p. 54 Everett on Blumenbachs collecting friend
p. 54 X Halifax. J[udge]. Story's death - plants at, shells
p. 56 Pensylvania [sic Pennsylvania] farmer breeding wolves
p. 57 Steamers must be very well appointed on Atlantic
p. 59 X “To scorn delight &c. [etc.] N[ew]. England motto -
p. 59 Unhealthy spot N.Y. & Schuylkill
p. 59 Malaria, New York & Schuykhill [sic Schuylkill] unhealthy spots
p. 61 Immorality of Washington City
p. 61 Fortifications of Quebec. Cui bono [Latin: Cui bono ‘who benefits’?]
p. 61 X Judge Story's Law College p. 63 U.S. lawyers best politicians
p. 63 Welsh coal & Cape Breton for Steamers
p. 63 Baptist Schism (“human means of salv[ation]”)
p. 63 Anti rent feeling
p. 65 X Democracy best where fewest Europeans
p. 65 X Britannia Steamer, length of passages
p. 65 Maine commercial, Mass[achusetts]. manufacturing. opposit[ion] of [Mass. As written?]
p. 65 New York Herald. shipping news
p. 67 Islands in Boston harbour wasting
p. 68 Plants in Boston Common
p. 68 Brimstone sold in shops under Calvinist church p. 68 X Voyage 15 days & two hours
p. 68 The Devil & the [? Wind].
p. 68 X Horticultural Fête. Faneuil Hall
p. 69 Websters speech. Songs. Noise of carts
p. 69 X Bunker Hill Monument
p. 70 Everett stood for Governor & failed
p. 70 Free Trade & Mexican war Mr. Boott on [‘Mr. Boott on’ added in pencil]
p. 70 Winthrop at Horticultural Fête
p. 71 X Revolutions of Engine of Britannia
p. 72 Representation defective if elections drive away refined persons.
p. 72 Mrs Hamilton, daughter of Gen[eral] Schuyler
p. 72 Seasickness like tune haunting one
p. 72 X Democratic opposition to Storers names of fish addressed to Cape Cod voters.
p. 74 Lectures in Boston declining. Bishop Potter
p. 74 Mastodon [‘[...]’ deleted] contents of stomach
p. 75 Ice in Boston harbour.
p. 75 Duelling in the South, Pres[ident].Quincey.[sic Quincy (John Quincy Adams)]
X Horticultural fête
p. 76 & 83 Bishop on Nat[ural]. Theol[ogy] Lowell Instit[ute] [‘83 &’ interlined (at end of line)]
p. 77 Unitarian Church, Brattle Sq[uare].
p. 78 X Different religion in members of one family
p. 78 X Venus mercenaria in drift Boston
p. 78 [‘Seals’ deleted] Bone of Seals [‘Bone of Seals’ interlined] -[in drift Boston] Seals [‘Seals’ interlined] floated S[outh].
Gould - 94 top & also 95 Wyman [‘Gould - 94 top & also 95 Wyman’ interlined]
p. 79 Plants Boston Common
p. 80 Steamers on Mississ[ippi]
p. 80 X New Gothic church N.Y.
p. 80 Alexander Everett
p. 80 Mutual admirat[ion] Society
p. 82 Horace Man [sic Mann]
p. 82 Electric telegraph
p. 82 X Eyes hurt by small print in railways [-‘ways’ interlined]
p. 82 Riches with[out] political power
p. 85, 90 & bis X C. Sumner ag[ainst] war [Note:‘90 & bis’ added at end of line]
p. 85 X Times versus Natural History &
p. 85 X Cape Cod fishermen
p. 85 Books abusive of U.S. wont sell
[Note: p. 85 is a blank page, these discussions are on p. 84.]
p. 86 China taking Boston manufacture
p. 86 Jointed structure of sandst[one]. Roxbury
p. 87 Prosperity of country. J. Sparkes [sic Sparks]
p. 87 X Abolitionists & annexation
p. 87 X English consul at Unitarian church
p. 87 No articles of faith.
Glacial furrows Roxbury
p. 88 X Riches & political power, Clay
p. 88 X Desire of wealth
p. 88 X Medical men 2000 ₤ [pound sign] a year
Consumption prevalence of
p. 89 Th. Parker & Tom Payne [sic Thomas Paine]
p. 89 X Revivals, symptom of the disease -
p. 89 Blanco White
p. – – X Small number of Unitarians
p. 90 Slavery J. Sparkes [sic Sparks] on Lyell’s Travels
p. 90 X Telescope Harvard Univ[ersity]
p. 91 Unitarian & Romanists
p. 91 Earnest enthusiasm in N[ew]. Engl[and].
p. 92 Emigrants vitiate the American experim[ent].
p. 92 Coleman Unitarian minister
p. 93 X Review of volunteers Sept. 23rd.
p. 94 X The “Fall Parade”
p. 94 Porpoise name of in Atlantic
p. 95 X Temperance hotel, prayers orthodox
p. 95 X Everett the old cradle Faneuil Hall
[Note: These two comments are on p. 94, not on p. 95 as indicated in their index entries.]
Sept. 24
p. 96 X Tour to Lynn railway martin houses.
p. 98 X Railway carriages Salem.
p. 98 X Geol[og]y & Botany. 108
p. 98 X Wenham Lake Barberry, ice -
p. 98 X Portsmouth Mr Hayes, Allen.
p. 99 New Engl[and] Preacher alluding to Victoria
p. 99 & 101 X Hirundo purpurea & H. viridis, Hayes [‘101 &’ interlined at end of line]
p. 99 X Submerged forest of cedars
p. 99 X Saxicava rugosa Portsmouth
p. 100 Grouse in White Mountain
p. 100 X Barberry spread of 50 m. inland.
X Candle berry [sic candleberry] fragrant.
p. 101 [? Mann], wild people L[ord]. Palmerston
p. 101 Heat excessive in 1845.
p. 101 X Loud voices of N[ew]. Englander -
p. 102 X Geology of Portsm[outh] by Hayes
p. 102 X Submerged forest
p. 102 X Clay with arctic shells
p. 104 X Sea like a smoking thermal water
p. 104 X Blue Jay, candleberry
p. 104 X Clay with saxicava &c [etc.]
p. 104 Phytolacca or poke.
p. 106 X Elevat[ion] found by drift, sinking by submerged cedar [‘submerged cedar’ interlined]
p. 106 X Comptonia Graphalium etc.
p. 106 Cheapness of land for railway
p. 106 Contorted clays of drift (Trimmer) boulder in
p. 106 X Railway speed 30 m an hour
p. 106 X Pines foliage red maple
p. 108 X Boulders of granite
p. 108 X Hirundo purpurea
p. 108 X Glacial furrows granite in situ
p. 108 X Colias –– Pteris aquilina
p. 110 X Railway train aboard steamboat
[faint erased ‘? or X’ in the margin] Steering in front
p. 110 X Anthracite not coal burnt
p. 110 Portland popul[ation]. like Halifax harbour
p. 110 X White Cedar
p. 110 X Timber trade unhealthy [Notation is ‘/’ not ‘X’- may be intentional or an error]
[p. 110] distance Portl[and] to Gardner [sic Gardiner] 68 m[iles]
[p. 110] X Fanner as bellows for anthracite
p. 112 X Sail up the Kennebeck [sic Kennebec] scenery
p. 112 X Seal partridge
p. 112 X Saxicava rugosa drift of Portsmouth
p. 112 X Why rich men not elected in representatives.