88 FOUNDERS OF OCEANOGRAPHY 



done much to initiate and promote the investigation in its 

 earlier stages. 



The work dealt with the determination of the depths of 

 the lakes and of the general form of the basins they occupy, 

 along with observations in other branches of limnography 

 from the topographical, geological, physical, chemical, and 

 biological points of view. Some important novel investiga- 

 tions, such as those on the temperature seiche and variations 

 in the viscosity of the water with temperature, help to throw 

 light on some oceanographical problems. In fact, the whole 

 investigation, comprising 60,000 soundings taken in 562 

 lakes, resulted in very substantial contributions to know- 

 ledge, and is probably the most complete accoimt of the 

 depths and other physical features of lakes that has been 

 published in any country. 



It cannot be said that Murray ever finished his work on 

 the west coast of Scotland, and I have evidence in a letter 

 that he wrote to me late in life that he still thought of return- 

 ing to the work. The passage is worth quoting, both for its 

 scientific interest and for the kindly consideration which it 

 shows. It is dated May 20, 1913, less than a year before 

 his death : — 



"... I am seriously thinking of overhauling all the 

 * Medusa ' work on the west coast, and repeating a lot of 

 these old observations for two years or more ; then pub- 

 lishing a book on the lochs of the west coast. Would that in 

 any way interfere with your work ? I am being pressed by 

 the Clyde people to do something of the kind. 



" Could I afford it at present, I would be off to the Pacific 

 in a Diesel-engined ship ! ! " . . . 



During the years when he was working at the " Challenger '* 

 results and subsequently Murray published many papers 

 in the Geographical Journal and in the Scottish GeograjMcal 

 Magazine and elsewhere, which deal with world-wide ques- 

 tions in oceanography or in physical geography, such as the 

 annual rainfall of the globe and its relation to the discharge 



