Notebook No.158, 16 December 1848 - 14 August 1849

This notebook is a record of Charles Lyell’s memoranda, writings, and reflections from 16 December 1848 - 14 August 1849 while he was in London and at Kinnordy. Approximately the first two thirds of the notebook covers his time in London, followed by his return to Kinnordy [definitively stated to be there as of 10 July 1849]. Lyell was primarily working on the final preparation of his manuscript of A Second Visit to the United States of North America for publication during the time he was in London. There are commentaries on society, politics, and theology; he also groups topics under the header “Americana”, plus a continuing discussion about sea serpents, with a focus on the “Stronsay Beast”. Lyell is also engaged in activities related to the Geological Society, in his role as President, and in preparing lectures, notably one he presented at the Royal Institution. On his return to Kinnordy, an excursion to the Prosen area [Bridge-River and surroundings] is documented, with sknetches, expanding on a visit of two summers earlier which was described in Notebook 153 and cross-referenced between the two notebooks, this time including the collection of botanical specimens and including numerous sketches of visits observing and describing other geological sites nearby Kinnordy.

This notebook comprises a substantial portion of memoranda and lists [58 of 136 written pages], including one list continuing intermittently, many items written in another hand [Mary Lyell?], from p. 105 to p. 162, numbering 52 items. The memorandum “Dentist” on pp. 83 and 87 offers a view into everyday life interspersed amongst scholarly and professional activities. The final preparation of A Second Visit to the United States of North America for publication is documented by statements detailing manuscript pages sent to the printer, other notes referring to Murray [publisher], a page headed “Queries & corrections in 2d Visit to US.” and comments about indexes or figures, average pages per chapter and review, for example “Allow one day for reading of 150 pp - also 2 days for sheets” with a singularly noteworthy entry “March 14. Wed[nesday] – M.S. finish[ed].”

There are lists of named individuals in relation to Geological Society (also Royal Society?) business, lectures, and presentation copies of his books. Lyell has indicated “with” alongside various named individuals in his notes, reflecting meetings/appointments with them while he was in London. Planning for the move back up to Kinnordy includes the preparation of two lists of books, totalling almost 100 titles, to be taken with them.

There is no index created by Lyell for the contents of this notebook; there is one line titled “Index 1874 [date may have been written later] Midbrae boulder page 136” [page does relate to Midbrae boulder] written in another hand on the last page [uncounted] of the notebook. The following summary covers groups of topics that Lyell focuses on throughout this notebook, as selected by volunteer Beverly Gordon (more detail is available on request, please contact us if you would like access to a fuller summary).

The following summary groups topics that Lyell focuses on throughout this notebook, as selected by volunteer Beverly Gordon. More detail is available on request, please contact us if you would like access to a fuller summary:
Sea Serpent
p. 1, 2, 3, 20, 21, 34, 94
p. 1 Sea Serpent – “Python swimming … But a Python has no mane or fin - & w[ould] not occasionally plunge its head underwater.”
p. 2 Sea Serpent – In the life of Campbell the poet vol. 2 - statement by Malcolm Lang [sic Laing] about the Sea-serpent seen in Western Isl[ands].
p. 9-11, 12, 14 Stronsa animal stranded Sept 1808
Account in Wernerian Trans. [Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society] 1808
p. 20 [The] Scotsman, Sat[urday] Jan[uary] 27th 1849; Sea-serpent at Montrose
p. 21 “Sea Serpent left off at M.S. p. 168-”
p. 34 Sea serpent – “blunt head eyes not seen by some observers” – 162 [referring to?], “fired at & hit on the head both in U.S. & Norway.”
p. 85 “The Gymnetrus northumbricus …”
p. 94 Sea-serpent [header [added?], in ink] description of [? bone] shark, “The flexibility said the man was in favour of its being the sea serpent.”

“Americana” [[added?] header]
p. 16 “Americana”
p. 20 “Americana” [?other hand]
p. 26 “Americana”, continued on pp. 28, 30
p. 71 “Americana”
p. 75 “Americana” [?other hand]
p. 88 “Americana” | “Errata”
p. 101 “Americana” [?other hand] | “U.S. & England”, continues on p. 102
p. 123 “Americana (geology)” | “Legenda” – Items 1-5 [other hand]
p. 154 “Americana”
p. 156 “Americana”
p. 157 “Americana"

Lists of named individuals
p. 18 [most with ‘x’ mark]
p. 46 Copies of 2d visit - presentation; numbered 1-20 - named individuals, Geological Soc[iety] and Atheneum
p. 56 “R.S”. [? Royal Society] – accompanied by discipline
p. 62
p. 64
p. 66
p. 68 “[? Final]”
p. 70 Lecture R.I. [Royal Institution] Tickets
p. 71 [notation ‘G.S’. [? Geological Society], ‘W’ or ‘?’ associated each individual]
p. 76 Lecture [same notation of ‘W’ or ’?’ as on list p. 71]
p. 80
p. 81 “from 70 - Lecture tickets to be sent – acceptations”
p. 84 [individuals and institutions (also Kinnordy), numbered 1-14]
p. 85 “copies sent thru’ Mr Murray’ plus other individuals & locations; count 14 + … 25
p. 86 [? number of tickets - 3(1x), 2, or 1]

Statements re: ‘Sent to printer …” ; varied notes related to final preparation of manuscript
p. 50 “Mar. 21. Sent Murray to pp. 82. Ch[apters]. 1,2,3,4”
Item 1 - “Murrays [... faint or erased?] M.S. to p. 176– & 3 woodcuts of Sea-serpent -”
p. 50 Sent pp 177 to 276- to printer; calculation re: Index
p. 52 Sent from p. 277 to p. 344 – 400 to p. 438 end of vol. 1. inclusive; Ap. 3d – ––—— 439 to 488 do
p. 52 Figure of ravine [...] in at M.S. p. 467. [in other hand]
p. 73 Sent Printer- Ch. 36- from p 772 a- to 796-
p. 73 Sent to Printer May 12. from 796a to 817-
p. 74 817 a - 832 to printers.
p. 74 Sent to Printer 853. to 860, Index given to cut up to p [“240” crossed] 269
p. 84 “Another change 2d. Visit.” [unelucidated meaning of the accompanying note]
p. 15 “left off 263 -”
p. 21 “Sea Serpent left off at M.S. p. 168-”
[Possibly not referring to his manuscript – “paper” related to sea serpents?]
p. 38 average chapter [“24 pp” crossed] for 2 vols. 19 pp.
p. 42 “Allow one day for reading of 150 pp - also 2 days for sheets” amidst similar musings with dates related to manuscript publication
“March 14. Wed[nesday] – M.S. finish[ed].”; “9 days of April for [? sundrys] & shells &
Index, 21 days April” plus calculation
p. 83 Item 2 - “Sheets to be sent by post,- which away (address) if not all sent?”
p. 91 “Index – Sims index maker Brit[ish] Mus[eum]”
p. 98 “Queries & corrections in 2d Visit to US.” Vol.1 and Vol. 2

List of book titles [taken to Kinnordy]
p. 44-45 “List of Books for Kinnordy” – numbered 1 to 40 [lines 35-40 blank]
p. 96-97 “Books taken to Kinnordy” – numbered 1 to 45; plus two noted “For T. Lyell’
continued on p. 104 – numbered 46 [crossed] to 62

Geological observations of locations visited upon return to residence in Kinnordy [nearby areas]
p. 106 Geology [rough diagram of local area]
p. 106-107 Botany July 10 – 1849 [10th-12th]
Nos. 1-11: Specimens collected with date and location - Prosen Br[idge]. Haugh, Calton Br[idge], Prosen Hill
p. 108 “see 153 p. 168” “Bridge of Prosen - July 11th 1849”
[This description of the Prosen area [Bridge-River and surroundings] is cross-referenced with a visit to the same area two summers earlier in Notebook 153, “see 158 p. 108”. The bi-directional cross-reference was added to both notes from the later point of Notebook 158.]
p. 109 Bridge of Prosen and surrounding area - sketch
p. 111 Geology of Prosen - sketch [accompanying description on p. 110, dated July 14. 1849]
p. 113-114 “July 13. Kinnordy” – Geological observations of three quarries in the area: ‘top of Maimes Hill’ in edge of larch wood, ‘on large field between wood of Maimes & farm’, and ‘at farm H[ouse]. of Balnagarow [sic Balnagarrow] Greenst[one]. dyke breadth unknown’
p. 116 “Lochside” July 16th /49 – Geol[ogy]. quarry of old red Kinnordy, newly laid open - sketch
p. 120-121 Maimes Hills and surrounding area - description and sketch
p. 122 continuation West … grey sandst[one] quarry of W[est]. Balloch … N[orth]. of Clune Hill - sketch
p. 124-126 “24 July . Kinnordy - Geology” “Conglomerate”
p. 126 Query re: greenstone dikes; sketch of area - location of conglomerates in relation to dike
p. 128, 130 “Belmont Park”; “New Mill”
p. 131 “July 25th /49” x130 q[uer]y is this a hardened grey sandstone.
p. 132 “Geology Kinnordy July 27th /49” Chapleton [sic Chapelton] - grey sandstone on borders of Carity – same rock which is hardened near Newmill among the trap.
p. 132 Some appearance of vegetable remains - dichotomous branching, sketch
p. 133 Great variety of green slate, grey slate, red calmy, red sandstone on Chapleton [sic Chapelton], “in fact all the Sidlaw beds might be found here on N[orth]. side of braes of Angus”
p. 134 conglom[erate] as in Maimes Hill … on Carity at Ferry den [sic Ferryden] ford; course of the Carity - labelled diagram; Quarry of grey slate at edge of wood on Chapleton [sic Chapelton] with gun shot of the greenst[one]. dike on N[orth]. edge of wood of Balnagarrow - sketch
p. 136-137 “Geol[ogy] Kinnordy 27 July” Erratic blocks – Midbrae boulder - description and sketch
p. 142 “Geology Kinnordy Aug[ust.] 3d” Kinnordy red sandst[one].
p. 142 “New Mill” Description of geology of Carity den; types of rocks - Q[uer]y was the den through reexcavated?
p. 143 Clay of New Mill, “ A p. 144” [refers to sketch, labelled A and B]; large angular erratics
p. 144 sketch of New Mill vicinity, labelled A and B, Den of Carity - Notes “see above p. 134”
p. 145-146 “The number of conglom[erates] must be great … 1st through 14.”
p. 148 “Geology Kinnordy July Aug[ust.] 8th Wed[nesday]” Ferry den [sic Ferryden] (Clova’s Path) dike, Miss Wilkies quarry - greenst[one]. dike
p. 150 “Aug[ust]. 8. continued - “Descending Carity from Ferryden … first quarry is of trapped sandst[one] jointed with pebbles …” – “Baked specimens -”
p. 151 “9th Aug[ust]. Geology Kinnordy 1849 –” observations of the geology from the farm of Chapleton [sic Chapelton] to nearest point in bed of Carity - “There appears therefore between New Mill & Chapleton [sic Chapelton] several alternatives of conglomerate & trap -”
p. 158-160 Mill Hill
p. 158 Sections G, H, I, K - sketch labelled A, B, and K - The whole of the Mill Hill is of trap & conglomerate in which could be found no quartz pebbles or mica schist.
p. 159 “Aug[ust]. 14th 1849” Ascended Mill Hill from Alexander’s farm – “Hill consists on N[orth].
side of trap. conglom[erate]. base of purplish compact felspar approaching to hornstone in part with green particles - see specimen C.”
p. 159 Sections D, E, F plus H, L - refers to description and sketch on p. 158 – sketch of Mill Hill captioned “View from window at Balintore looking south”.
p. 160 Summarization of the "peculiarity" of the geology of the Mill Hill in being like that seen in the Clune & Den of Carity between New Mill & Chapleton [sic Chapelton]
p. 163 “Prosen marks on dike p. 108