JOHN MURRAY 91 



lenger " — with the legend, " Report on the scientific results 

 of the ' Challenger ' Expedition, 1886-95." The name of the 

 recipient of the medal is engraved on the lower margin. 



After Sir Wjrville Thomson's death, when Murray came 

 to be recognized by the scientific world as the moving spirit 

 in connection with all the " Challenger " work, and especially 

 when the great series of publications was completed, honours 

 of all kinds came pouring in upon him — for which he probably 

 cared little. He was an honorary doctor of many univer- 

 sities, he was awarded the " prix Cuvier " medal by the Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, and he was created K.C.B. in 1898. He 

 gave the Lowell lectures at Boston in 1899, and again in 191 1. 

 He was chief British delegate at the International Congress 

 for the Exploration of the Sea, at Stockholm, in 1899. He 

 was President of the Geographical Section of the British 

 Association in the same year ; and it is an open secret that 

 he might have been President of the Association had he been 

 able to undertake it. He was approached no less than three 

 times in connection with three different meetings (two of them 

 overseas meetings, at which it was felt that a man of world- 

 wide associations, such as Murray, would be singularly appro- 

 priate), but after some hesitation and careful consideration, 

 he felt that circumstances compelled him to decline the 

 honour. Some of his letters to me, from which I quote a few 

 passages, allude to these offers. 



This is a letter from Mentone, on April 1, 1904, referring 

 to the first of these occasions : — 



"... At first, I said it was impossible to alter our family 

 and other arrangements so as to go to South Africa. . . . 

 To my astonishment, my wife seems taken with the idea of 

 going to the Cape, and says it is by no means impossible to 

 alter our arrangements. I've promised to think over the 

 matter for a week. I'll let you know definitely a day or two 

 after I reach Edinburgh. 



" I feel that you are predisposed to honour me, but I also 

 feel I have given the Association very little of my attention : 



