WCP4524

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

July 8th. 1892

My dear Meldola¹

Thanks for your congratulatory letter on the addition of twins to my small family of medals. It is really a bore, as I had just had a box made specially to hold & show my others — but I think it can be altered to accommodate the new-comers.

Will² is coming home tomorrow, I hope he will have a decent [2] final report. At all events I believe his conduct has been unexceptionable. After receiving it I suppose I had better write to Prof. S. Thomson [sic] asking him for his advice, & if he can give a personal recommendation[.]

He ^(Will) tells me you have given him an address of an engineer who may help him to get into some good works. But I think it will be only polite & proper to write to Prof. Thomson first.

I am now reading a [3] wonderfully interesting book — O. Fisher’s³ "Physics of the Earth’s Crust"[.]⁴ It is really a grand book, & though full of unintelligible mathematics is so clearly explained & so full of good reasoning on all the aspects of this most difficult question that it is a pleasure to read it. It was especially a pleasure to me because I had just been writing an article on the Permanence of the Oceanic Basins,⁵ at the request of the Ed. of "Natural Science", — who told me I was not orthodox on the point. But I find that Fisher supports [4] the same view with very great force, & it strikes me that if weight of argument & number of capable supporters create orthodoxy in science it is the other side who are not orthodox. I have some fresh arguments, & I was delighted to be able to quote Fisher. It seems almost demonstrated now that Sir W. Thompson⁶ was wrong — & that the earth has a molten interior & a very thin crust, as in no other way can the phenomena of geology be explained. Should you be ever in this neighbourhood give us a call. With kind remembrances to your wife⁷ & to Mr. & Mrs. Cohn,⁸

Believe me| yours very truly| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Prof. R. Meldola