- Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/103
- Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/6
- Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
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Showing 21–39 of 39 items
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John Wallace describes for his mother the progress of the large engineering venture: building water supply flume to provide vitally needed water to the gold mining vicinity around Columbia, California. Complains he has received no letters from home in ten months. Rainy season came early, and they now have 18 miles of fluming done, plus 30 miles of ditching; has cost our company about $350,000, but we’re “all in good spirits...it will pay amply in the end.” Losses from flooding and smallpox among crew. Notices news that the Duke of Wellington has died.
In response to family requests for his picture as a rough, full-bearded miner, has had a Deguerreotype [sic] of himself made “in a medium state...passing from the rough barbarian state of early Californian life to the more peaceful and mild state of civilization.” Emphasizes that he is not a miner, but chief Engineer to the Toulumne County Water Company which supplies great quantities of necessary water in to hundreds of mines. Happy to report that his Company is a success. Requests picture of them in turn. Brother helped him (by letter) calculate the amount of water discharged to be 11 ½ million gallons every 24 hours. Describes system of reservoir and delivery system, which frequently is disrupted, sometimes flooding the town. Expresses interest in fad for mind over matter experiment, later known as telekinsesis.
One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.
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Arrival in Singapore; town and population; Bukit Tima (Timah) Mission; butterflies; boxes due on ship Eliza Thornton; broken watch; instructions to Samuel Stevens.
Daily tasks with insect collections; sending a box of beetles to Stevens; plans to go to Borneo; Charles's progress as assistant; friends and family in England.
Sea journey from Singapore; living conditions in Malacca; employment of servants; French missionaries; Chinese farmers; Charles Allen's progress as assistant; birds and monkeys; plans to visit Cambodia.
Rebuilding and surveying after fire in the town; presumed loss of the steamer City of Glascau (Glasgow); Wilson's plans to emigrate to Australia; widow McCann; mining speculation; quartz mine; Dr Pownall sharing house; growing tomatoes; interesting Californian spider and fly; ARW's assistant; hot weather.
Attack of fever in Malacca, quinine treatment; insects and birds collected in Malacca; ascent of Mount Ophir; arrival of post including and letters from Adelaide, Australia; arrival of newspapers, instruments, repaired watch and food from England; basket of food spoiled by insects, better to use soldered tin box; visit to Sir James Brooke; plans to visit Sarawak; friends and family; continued carelessness of assistant Charles.
One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.
Christmas day with the Rajah (Sir James Brooke); admirable character of Brooke; expedition into interior with Dyaks; character and customs of Dyak people; the Malays; fears plants sent to England dead, plans to collect in Celebes; Miss Woodford recommended as wife for ARW by G S (George Silk); possible trip to California.
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The BM (Natural History); ARW's relationship with Gray; photography; proposed expedition to Batchian Island near Gilolo; encouraging letters from Hooker and Darwin, his essay read at the Linnean Society; sale by Stevens of collections from Aru; plans to return to England.
A request for Sims’s opinion on whether a collection of back papers of the Family Herald would be suitable to send to ARW, if they were cheaply bound into a volume. Mrs Wallace regrets that Thomas and Fanny Sims live too far away to be able visit her more often.
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Plans to collect specimens in Java en route to Singapore and return from there to England; stores and baggage carried on previous expeditions; plans for work and accommodation on return to England.
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