4 
INTRODUCTION. 
possession of this Legation; and any arrangement made by him with you will be ratified by me. and 
through me by the Departments of State and War at Washington. 
Yours very respectfully 
(Signed) BONN PIATT, 
Charge des affaires des Etats-Unis. Par-inlerim. 
Having come to an nnderstanding upon all the points contained in his instructions , 1 delivered 
to Mr. Wilbor the specimens and note-books, and received from him the following receipt. 
Salins, February the 28’** 1855. 
I acknowledge the receipt from Mr. Jules Marcou of the specimens and notes, alluded to in this 
letter, and which are to be transmitted to the Secretary of War at Washington; through the United- 
States Legation at Paris. 
(Signed) J. B. Wilbor jr. 
For a year I heard nothing more of this affair, when in the month of February 1856 I received 
the following letter. 
Washington (D. C.), January Ibe 31^ 1856. 
Sir , 
Captain Humphreys Top. Engrs., in charge of the office of the United States Pacific Railroad 
Explorations and Surveys, has sent the geological collection made by you when with Lieutenant Whipple, 
and your two note-books to me, and wishes me to describe the collection and prepare a report on the 
geology of the line explored hy Lieutenant Whipple to accompany his final report in quarto form. 
I regret that it is not in your power to perform this duty, and in consenting to undertake it, I am 
actuated by a desire to secure the publication of your results in connection with the official reports. 
It is my intention to present a translation of your notes, and your preliminary Resume already printed 
in the octavo volume, and to add a full description of your collection with such observations on it, and on 
the geology of the route as shall appear desirable and necessary. 
If you prefer that the preliminary R4sum4 should not appear in the final report, — its place being 
supplied by the translation of your notes — or if you wish to present any modification or explanation 
of your views, please write me and I will regard your wishes. I do not write officially, but in my priv- 
ate capacity, being desirous to accord you every privilege which I could desire if similarly situated. 
I find in the collection which you returned from France, several specimens without tickets or memo- 
randa of their locality. Among them are several Ammonites, a Gryphwa like G. incurva, and a fine 
Plagiostoma. Please inform me of the locality of these at your earliest convenience. I would also like 
to receive copies of your recent publications on American Geology. 
Respectfully yours 
(Signed) W. P. BLAKE. 
To Jules Marcou, 
Geologist, etc. 
Salins (Jura). — France. 
1 answered it at once as follows. 
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