Letter from Benjamin Smith Lyman to J. Peter Lesley
Description:
Lyman explains the delays that are contributing to the extension of his stay in Cow Bay, which are primarily the result of disparities between his calculations and recent boring samples. He makes a detailed reassessment of Bourinot's character, and concludes that he is "energetic enough by nature, but lazy by education." Lyman critiques the theology and scientific terminology in Dana's "Textbook of Geology," then compliments Dawson's "Acadian Geology," and agrees with the author's theories on the composition of Lower Carboniferous Strata. Lyman proposes a standardized color scheme for representing strata in geological maps, and provides charts with colors and strata, as well as markings to differentiate minerals and density within each layer. A unique method of retrieving steel fragments from the bottom of boring holes is detailed.
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