Notebook No.183, 30 April 1853 - 3 July 1853

Notebook 183 contains notes from 30 April to 3 July 1853. Many pages throughout the notebook are headed "Manual," referencing the fourth edition of Lyell's "A Manual of Elementary Geology." These notes were used in preparation for the fifth edition, which was published in 1855. In May 1853, Lyell embarks on his fourth trip to the United States, serving as Britain's representative at the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations. He traveled via the steamship Canada, landing in Nova Scotia on 5 June 1853, before proceeding to Boston (p. 50). Lyell also traveled to New York (p. 66), Philadelphia (p. 76), and Washington (p. 80) before returning to Boston (p. 109) on 1 July. The notebook contains many geological notes and sketches. The notebook also was used in a somewhat non-sequential matter. In places, notes continue on the left hand side page, with unrelated and sometimes anecdotal commentary on the right hand side. There are also references to past and future notebooks (p. 8 to NB 182, p. 66 to NB 180, p. 76 to NB 184) which were possibly added at a later times.

The notebook is written in ink and pencil and does not include an index. In Lyell's separate series of Index Notebooks, there is a short index for this notebook, see reference Coll-203/A5/3 p. 17-18, which is transcribed here. In addition, a longer summary index has been created. When a section header used by Lyell is included, this is indicated by quotation marks. Dates listed in the notebook have been inserted at the beginning of the appropriate section.

Index taken from Index Notebook reference Coll-203/A5/3 p. 17-18
p. 3 Sphenophyllum and Asterophllites [sic Asterophyllites] the same plant
p. 11, 13 Chalk denuded before Thanet Sands
p. 54 Lepidosteus says Agassiz flexible when living and abounded in the bayous of the coal swamps
p. 56 Archegosaurus, says Agassiz is a fish
Summary Index:
p. 1 “London Ap[ril] 30 1853”, “Cosmopolite shells”, “Sir G. Mackenzie 1810”
p. 2 “Mem[oranda]” numbered 1-11
p. 3 “Sir P. Egerton”, “Coal Plants”
p. 4 “Capt[ain] Luce”, Crossed off memoranda, “J. W. Salter”
p. 5 “Copies of Principles 9th Ed[ition].” with list of names
p. 6 Sketch of Trochus zizyphinus, “Professor Wilson”
p. 7 “Manual” numbered 1-6, “Mem[oranda]” numbered 1-6
18 May 1853
p. 8 “Grote’s Greece”, Address for Francis Fuller
p. 9 “Books to take to the U.S.” numbered 1-10
p. 10 “Mem[oranda]” numbered 1-9
p. 11, 12, 13, 14 “Geol[ogical] Soc[iety] Meeting 1853 May 18 Denudation,” Notes on Sir Joseph
p. 15 Sketches and species names including Ophiocoma and Botryllus
p. 16 Species names in a 2-column list
p. 18, 20 Notes about plants including Cycas pectinata and araucaria
p. 20 “Index”, “Mem[oranda]”
p. 20, 21, 22, 23 “Manual” revision notes with lists of species names and page numbers
p. 23 “Devonian” list of species
p. 23, 24, 25 Notes on species with many references to Notebook 182
p. 26 “Cuts Ordered” numbered 1-10 "Mem[orandum]" numbered 1-6
p. 25, 27 List numbered 1-16 of specimens related to Manual revisions
p. 27 “Illustrations recommended for Manual by E. Forbes”
25 May 1853
p. 28 “Gave Mr. Lee the woodcuts”, “Mr. Bone”
p. 28, 29 Memorandum numbered 1-12
p. 29 “May 26 left Gutbier’s Permian fossils”, “Deville on Canary Isl[ands]”
p. 30, 31 “Olympic Games”
p. 31 “May 27th 1853” sketch of “yellow gravel at Watford”
p. 32 “28th May”, “Exhibit[ion] N.Y.”, “Chagres River”
p. 34 “Letter Salter” list numbered 1-11
p. 35 “Illustrations, Salter” list from previous page continued 12-19
1 June 1853
p. 36, 38, 39, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 53, 57, 58 “Manual addenda”
p. 40, 42 “N.Y. Exhibit”
p. 42 Listing of dates, miles, and coordinates of passage to U.S., “June 2nd With Mr. Whitworth”
p. 45 “Mem[oranda] Agassiz, L. queries”’
p. 46 “Sunday June 5th 1853” Steam ship Canada, off Nova Scotia”, List of some ship passengers
p. 50 “Boston June 8th 1853” List numbered 1-8, “Dendrerpeton paper given to”
p. 51 Political and religious observations from Boston
p. 52 “June 9th With Agassiz”
p. 52, 54, 55, 56 Notes and sketches on Lepidosteus and other species such as lunulites and graptolites
p. 56 “Mem[oranda]” numbered 1-5
p. 58 Notes on stratigraphy of northeastern U.S.
p. 60, 62, 64 “N. York Exhib[ition]”
p. 66 “Boston to N. York June 11th”, Political commentary, Address of John Jay, Mr. and Mrs. Haight and others
p. 67 “New York” list numbered 1-12
p. 68 Assorted notes such as “Crystal Palace”, “Daguerreotype Maps and Charts”, “Alanthus [sic Ailanthus] trees in flower”, Address of Prof. Silliman and Putnam
p. 69 “June 15th” commentary on taxes, Address of G. W. Hughes, “June 16 1853 Queries” numbered 1-7
p. 70 Notes including several people such as Benjamin Silliman, Alexander Bache, Lieutenant Maury, Captain Wilkes, and Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke
p. 72 Continuation of notes including people such as Captain Ringgold, Dr. T. Beck, Dr. W. Gibbs, John Foster, and D. D. Owen.
p. 73 “Mem[oranda]” numbered 1-2, “John F. Crampton”
p. 74 Assorted notes, mostly relating to geology of US
p. 75 “Capt[ain]. H. W. Benham in charge of Coast Survey” and other government positions
p. 76 “Philadelphia June 18 1853”, Addresses of Professors Leidy and Fraser, “Priscodelphinus”, List numbered 1-4, “Eocene fossil horse” Address of Timothy Conrad, “Walrus found in New Jersey”
p. 77 “Mem[oranda]” numbered 1-3
p. 78 “20 June Philadelphia to Baltimore” and “Wilmington Delaware” with notes on geology seen on route
p. 80 “Salt” notes one salt imports, geology, and a sketch
p. 80 “Washington June 21”, Statue of Andrew Jackson, “Treasury nearly painted”
p. 82 “Oak Hill cemetery”, “Col. Abert”, “Rock creek near George Town”, [sic Georgetown] “Wood Methodist preacher”, “With Mr. Crampton”
p. 84, 85, 86 “Copyright question”, “With Lieut. Maury”, Maury’s ocean observations
p. 87 W. M. Thackeray’s payment for lecture, “Coast Survey Office 1852”
p. 88 “Mr. Saxton mechanism”, “Henry W. Benham”, “Prof[essor]. Jewett or Prof Baird”, “Grinnell going out the Expedition to look for Sir. J. Franklin”, List numbered 1-6
p. 89 “23 June 1853 Major Ringfield”, List of names including Crampton, Walker, and Lieutenant Maury
p. 90 “Sidney Webster”, “Fireflies”, “With Pres[ident] Pierce” with notes on parks and scientific appointments
p. 90, 92 “McIlvaine” with notes on foreign ministers and parks, “Priscodelphinus”
p. 94 “With Mr. Conrad”, “Texas”, “New Jersey marl”
p. 96 Sketch of and notes on possible seals tooth found by S. Wetherill including a list of accompanying fossils found
p. 98 Notes on other cetacean fossils and their locations, “Texas”
p. 100 “3 localities of Cetaceans” with a sketch, “Theodor Parker”, “Dr. Leidy”, “Baltimore purple marls”
p. 100, 102 “Shad, Clupea” hyoid bones
p. 102 “L[or]d Ellesmere”, “H. W. Benham” address, “Maury p. 63”, “Rev[erand] Ch. W. Hackley”
p. 102, 104 “Salt Freeport in Pa”, Notes on salt mining and gases
p. 103 Fishing anecdote from Mr. Ludlow
p. 106 Continuation of geology notes from 104 with discussion of “Salisbury iron” in Canaan, Connecticut and “magnetic oxide” in Rhode Island
p. 107 “Barclay and Livingston” address, “Queries”
p. 108 List numbered 1-3, Address for Schuyler Livingston”, “Newport” anecdote about Lyell’s lost watch, “Commercial”, “Footprints”
p 109 “Boston July 1st 1853”, “E. Forbes Q[uer]y”, Sketch of a snipe foot, List of dates
p. 110 “Mustang ointment”, “J. E. Teschemaker” address, “Mystic river on way to Medford”, “T. T. Bouve” address, “Albertite Albert Mines New Brunswick”, “Lepidodendron” with sketch and reference to book by Lindley and Hutton
p. 111 Definition of heaven from a New Englander
p. 112 “Stigmaria” with notes and sketches, “Edward Everett” address, Dr. Sears Secr[etary] of Board of Educat[ion]”
p. 113 “July 3rd 1853 Boston Brattle St Church Rev[erend] Dr. Lothrop”, “Medical pupils of Agassiz”, “Address A. Guyot”
p. 114 Notes on methods of making naval charts, “Lynn Ship rock”, “9 days 17, 25 minutes” [presumed steamship travel]