Ɛpsilon

WCP2193

Letter (WCP2193.2083)

[1]1

CHALLENGER EXPEDITION OFFICE

32 QUEEN STREET, EDINBURGH,

31 July 1886

My Dear Sir

I fear I can not at present assist you in the matter about which you write.

I have no samples of atmosphere dust which have been carried great distances.

Many samples of [2] dust have been sent me to examine but these usually consist of particles which have come from the neighborhood to the place where the collections are made.

I have now collectors on two coral atolls but no samples have yet reached me.

From a study of the deposits I feel sure that small rounded [3] particles of quartz having a diameter of 0.1 of a Millimeter have been carried from the coast of Africa 500 and 700 miles to the westward and similar particles are carried to equally great distances from the S.W. coasts of Australia

Yours sincerely | John Murray2 [signature]

Mill. = .04 inch = 1/253

1/10 = .004 1/250

[4]4

1
In ARW’s handwriting, “Acknowledged”.
2
Murray, John (1841-1914). Scottish Canadian naturalist and one of the founders of oceanography.
3
Two lines in ARW’s handwriting.
4
In pencil by unknown hand, “John Murray”.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP2193.2083)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Bisasor, Jhanelle [2018-08-15] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Please cite as “WCP2193,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2193