Darwin Correspondence Project

H.M: Packet Brig Spey Falmouth

Sir,

Although I have not the pleasure of being personally known to you— yet, I beg, you will be pleased to consider me, as a sincere friend to any science, that may tend towards the improvement of the human understanding—and, in my humble opinion;— I know of no other science, that can surpass Geology,—especially, since the discovery of so many wonderful fossil remains in the high northern Latitudes;

Permit me then Sir, to add my mite, in sending you a few papers of dust,—blown on board the Spey—from the coast of Africa—nearly four hundred miles distance— I almost despaired of being able to collect any at all— It was too light and too fine to get even a pinch of it—but a clean sponge and fresh water soon procured me as much as I wanted;

The Dust that I collected on the 7^th—8th^—9th—and 10^thof March 1838 was blown off to us in a SE & ESE wind a smart top-gallant breeze— on the 6^th—in the afternoon, the Sympasometer kept rising and falling from 29^o–103 ^ths—to 29^o–107 ^ths— without any visible change in the atmosphere, only a thick haze that obscured the setting sun—

On the 7^thin the morning it came on like a dense thick fog—to the great astonishment and annoyance of every person on board— in the evening I collected the contents of N^o 1—paper from the bottom of my gig—a boat ready cleaned for painting— N^o 2 parcel was collected on the 8^th—from the top-gallant sails 140 feet from the deck —on examination by a good microscope I found a great difference—N^o 2 being much finer than N^o 1— It was composed of particles so fine that I was unable to find, form, or dimension;—while N^o 1 was much coarser, and rough to the touch—presenting some bright shining particles—with a quantity of transparent grains (probably quartz) mixed with particles as fine as N^o 2—

On trial by acids this substance produced no effervescence—but is is very probable, that the finer particles would give way to the stronger acids, of which I had none with me;

By the blow-pipe it glomerated quite easily—and on taking a small portion of the glomerate and exposing it to a strong heat—the fusion was complete— with this difference N^o 1 was less fusible—only giving a kind of green enamel—while N^o 2 melted into a black shining globule—

On the trial with Borax it indicated the presence of Iron—

On rubbing some of N^o 2 on a fine polished new silver spoon—with a piece of soft leather—the silver became a dull pale white—

With these results I send the four parcels— only N^os 1—and 2—have been tried— I do not know whether any of the above powder was ever sent to the geological Society before—for their inspection and trial— I rather think not—for I never read or heard of any collected quantity sufficient for the benefit of a scientifical lecture —another thing—years and years—may pass away before such a phenomenon appears again—and then it is only to the Sailor—who only swears at the Idea of thick dust been blown in his eyes in the open Atlantic—and among a thousand—one may take the trouble to see what it is composed of and send some for the good of the Geologist— If in my rambles I should pick up any thing worthy the Societys acceptance—I shall be most happy to give it a passage home in the Spey and send it to you by the earliest opportunity.

I have the honor to be | Sir | your obedient Serv^t | Rob^t B: James Lieut^t & Commander
Cha's Lyell Esq^r &c &c