310 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY REORGANISED CHAP, ix 



LONDON, i6th December 1871. 



MY DEAR GEIKIE Yesterday I took a leaf out of 

 the Book of Othello, and became perplexed in the 

 extreme, all along of a miserable trusteeship that I 

 hold. The consequence was that all day I stood 

 prostrate at the feet of Europe, having therefore an 

 aversion to all legitimate business, till in the evening 

 I plucked up hart o grease and wrote to S. Kensing 

 ton asking about the Survey Annual Reports. I have 

 to-day had an answer saying that My Lords meet on 

 Monday, and the question will come before them. That 

 is all we know on Earth, and all we need to know. 



Having done this, I went at half -past four and 

 played with Herbert Spencer a game of billiards at 

 the Athenaeum. He beat me. Being beaten, I went 

 home and ate a turkey, and then proceeded to lay 

 about me all round and make everybody miserable, 

 all because a woman 200 and odd miles off is an ass, 

 and gives me a deal of deilish bother. 



The poet [his son Allan] came home yesterday 

 from Uppingham with a prize for mathematics under 

 his oxter. We are all very well at home, both the 

 cats having disappeared. I hope they are not at the 

 bottom of the water butt ! 



Several of the drift maps have been engraved. 

 We are now in a state to publish. I will tell Bristow 

 to send you a coloured specimen copy for your 

 criticism before any are issued. I hope we may 

 manage to do so early next week. Ever sincerely, 



ANDW. C. RAMSAY. 



LONDON, 1 1 th January 1872. 



MY DEAR GEIKIE Yesterday in the Council of 

 the Geological Society I proposed Croll as a proper 



