PREFACE. 



Many years passed. Robert Dick died in 1866, 

 Was it possible that he had left any memoranda on 

 which a memoir of his life and labours could be written ? 

 On inquiry I found that many of his letters were still 

 in existence. I believe that I have been successful in 

 obtaining the greater part of them, or, at all events, 

 those which are the most interesting. In fact, by means 

 of these letters the story of Dick's life has in a great 

 measure been told by himself. 



One of his principal correspondents was the late 

 Hugh Miller, author of My Schools and Schoolmasters, 

 The Old Red Sandstone, and other geological works. 

 His son, Mr. Hugh Miller, of the Geological Survey, has 

 kindly sent me Dick's letters to his father; though 

 Hugh Miller's letters to Dick have not yet reached me. 

 They are supposed to be in Australia. 



Mr. Charles W. Peach, A.L.S., one of Dick's best 

 friends, has sent me all Dick's letters to him, together 

 with much other valuable information as to his life and 

 character. But perhaps the best of Dick's letters 

 those containing his references to his private life 

 were those written to his sister, principally for her 

 amusement ; and these have been kindly placed in 

 my hands by Dick's brother-in-law, Mr. Falconer of 

 Haddington. 



I am also indebted to Dr. Meiklejohn, to Dr. 

 Bobcrt Brown, F.L.S., for many letters; and to the 



