(llacneU Hutuerattg ffiifararg BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF HENRY W. SAGE 1891 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924087988840 THE LIFE OF SIR CHARLES J. F. BUNBURY, BART. , iU.,J.' & :^' -.-. S'^IMO-. ^rr.-ll^'WaJi^&f^.t^o ^^^^ "cX THE LIFE OF SIR CHARLES J. F. BUNBURY BART. WITH AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY SIR JOSEPH HOOKER, C.B., G.C.S.I. EDITED BY HIS SISTER-IN-LAW MRS. HENRY LYELL WITH PORTRAITS & ILLUSTRATIONS VOL. II LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1906 H V* CONTENTS CHAPTER ,,^^g XXIV. A Visit to Madeira .1 XXV. Canary Islands . . . . 26 XXVI. Botanical Problems . . . .52 XXVII. Germany . . . . .67 XXVIII. Malvern and Mildenhall . .84 XXIX. Visit to Paris . .110 XXX. Suffolk — London . . . .125 XXXI. Italian Wars . . .143 XXXII. Peace or War . . .168 XXXIII. Antiquity of Man . .181 XXXIV. Kingsley and other Friends . . 193 XXXV. Origin of Species .... 216 XXXVI. British Association . . . 235 XXXVII. Plants and Animals .... 26O XXXVIII. Friends at Barton .... 280 XXXIX. London and Barton .... 289 XL. Record of Conversations . . . 306 XLI. Loss of Friends . . . .317 XLII. Miss Kingsley and others . . 324 XLIII. The Zulu and Afghan Wars . . 343 XLIV. Last Years . . . . .358 A Few Tributes written by Friends after his Death . 386 Works and Scientific Papers by C. J. F. Bunbuhy, Bart. . 388 Index .... ... 391 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Sir Charles J. F. Bunbury, Bart. . . . Frontispiece (From >i photograph) PAGE Barton Hall . . . . .158 THE LIFE OF SIR CHARLES J. F. BUNBURY, BART. CHAPTER XXIV A VISIT TO MADEIRA [Mr. and Mrs. Bunbury and Sir Charles and Lady Lyell started for Madeira early in December, 1853.] To HIS Father. Funchal, December 18th, 1853. My dear Father, We came in sight of Madeira late last night, — too late to come in, so we lay by during the night, and were rather uncomfortably tossed about ; and this morning we entered the Bay of Funchal in a drizzling rain, while the clouds hung so heavy and so low on the hUls as to give a rather gloomy aspect to the scene. But the appearance of Funchal from the sea, with its bright white houses so picturesquely clustering up the mountain sides, is always very striking ; and towards the middle of the day the clouds retired to the higher mountain regions, the sun shone out and the weather became beautiful. Young Chichester, the son of our Barton Mills neighbour, came on board almost as soon as the vessel anchored, greeted us heartily, and was most truly kind and zealous and active in helping us. The mode of landing is curious ; as the shore is II. B 2 A VISIT TO MADEIRA excessively steep and the surf heavy, it is rather a difficult operation ; the boat is pushed in pretty near to the shore, but not aground, and then as it is rock- ing on the waves, a number of men rush into the water, seize hold of it, and by great strength and dexterity fairly haul it ashore. How they escape capsizing it seems a marvel, but it is said that accidents never happen. The carriages used in Fun- chal, and in one of which we went lodging hunting, are most original contrivances, unlike anything I have seen in any other country ; a sort of large covered sledge without wheels, very gaily and smartly fitted up and drawn by a couple of bullocks ! They go sometimes at a marvellous pace, the driver walking or running by the side of the animals with a long stick. Then as we passed through the town, our eyes were caught at every moment by remarkable plants and beautiful flowers in all the gardens : the most splendid blue Ipomeas and orange Bignonias covering the trellises and hanging over the garden walls ; the Poinsettia and the Datura arborea in profuse bloom in the open ground ; Bananas, Coffee bushes, and all sorts of tropical plants, except Palms, of which I see but few. We, the Lyells and ourselves, have hired for a week a set of rooms in the house of a Portu- guese merchant ; very pleasant rooms, spacious, very clean and very airy, in a fine situation. The view from our sitting-room windows is indeed glorious, ranging over the steep slopes covered with gardens of Eden-like luxuriance, interspersed with bright, gay villas like those of Genoa, to the wild, dark, rugged mountains, whose tops are lost in the clouds, while in another du-ection the sea comes in to complete the view. Madeira is even more beautiful than my recol- lections pictured it. December 20th. Yesterday was quite a heavenly day, the most glorious I have seen for a very long time. I despair of giving an idea how exquisitely EMIGRATION FROM MADEIRA 3 beautiful the country looked under its influence. I took a long walk in the morning, up to Nossa Senhora do Monte, but had not much botanical success, as I could not disentangle myself from the stone walls and paved roads ; I foimd however a few interesting plants. After dinner we saUied forth on another excursion, — Mary Lyell and I, young Chichester and a friend of his, all on horseback, Fanny carried in a hammock slung to a pole, and carried by two men, — a common mode of traveUing here. We had a very pleasant hour's ride along the mountain side, round the heads of several valleys, enjoying the beauty of the evening and the lovely scenery glowing in the light of the setting sun. In short, the day passed delightfully, and we are all in love with Madeira. Our quarters are very comfortable ; it is only a little inconvenient that no one in the house, except our host, understands English, and we have not yet got up our Portuguese. We board with the family, which is a little constraint, but they are extremely civil and obliging, and we fare very well. We feast on Bananas, which are abundant and excellent, as good, I think, as in Brazil. December 21st. Our host tells us that within the last five years, 30,000 persons have emigrated from this island to Demerara and the West Indies. This is a greater emigration, in proportion to the popula- tion, than that from Ireland. Two-thirds of the num- ber, it is said, are already dead, but the remainder are growing rich. The peasantry here seem very poor, but a good, mild, obliging, cheerful set of people, very industrious, — great beggars all the same. The failure of the vine-crop has of course told heavily upon all classes, but most of all upon the small pro- prietors. But even before the grape disease came, I am told that the incomes of the principal merchants had been considerably affected by the change of fashion in England with respect to wines, the demand for Madeira being so greatly diminished. December 23rd. This is again a lovely morning. It 4 A VISIT TO MADEIRA seems so wonderful, after what one has been used to in England, to open one's eyes morning after morning to a blue sky and a bright sunshine. Yesterday and the day before, indeed, were very showery but warm and bright between the showers,— very good English summer weather. There is no going however at present to the high mountains, whose tops are covered with snow and generally buried in clouds. Next month they say wiU be more favourable for expedi- tions both to the mountains and to the north side of the island. I wish you with all my heart a happy new year, and am ever. Your very affectionate son, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To Lady Bunbuey. Funchal, December 20th, 1853. My dear Emily, It would require a much more eloquent pen than mine to do justice to the fairy gardens of Madeira. Imagine the plants of all the tropical and temperate parts of the globe flourishing together in the richest luxuriance ; the choicest plants of our hot- houses luxuriating as if in their native coimtry ; the Poinsettia in splendid perfection, covered with its gorgeous crimson floral leaves ; the Datura, loaded with its great white bells ; the Bignonia venusta covering the garden walls and trellises with glorious festoons of its brilliant orange-coloured flowers, as luxuriant and beautiful as ever I saw it in Brazil ; MagnoHas loaded with ripe fruit ; Austrahan Acacias and Eucalyptuses ; Sugar-canes ; Bananas as plentiful as cabbages in EngUsh gardens ; Coffee bushes, and many more than I can enumerate — to say nothing of such vulgar things as prickly pears and huge orange trees. The richness, the Eden-hke beauty of the whole effect is beyond what words can express. And "THE FLOWERY LAND" 5 these gardens which cover the steep slopes ascending from the sea are backed by the dark, wild mountains of strange rugged volcanic aspect, some of whose tops are now covered with fresh-fallen snow. In our rides we can hardly go fifty yards together without bursting out into fresh exclamations of " beautiful I beautiful ! Oh, how beautiful I" On reading over what I have written, I am afraid you will think me rhapsodical, but really I do not exaggerate. Madeira might well be called as the Chinese call their country, "the Flowery Land." The soil and cUmate are most wonderfully adapted to the productions of all parts of the world. Observe that I have been speaking entirely of cultivated plants ; of the native vegetation of the island, I have been able to see very little. And here is the dis- advantage of the place to a botanist ; the cultivation extends so far, that it is very hard work to get clear of the endless stone walls and paved roads, and to have a glimpse of unsophisticated nature. Everybody here rides, and even I, though by no means partial to that mode of progression, have been obliged to give in to the fashion, for the pavement of the roads is cruelly harassing to one's feet, and it is a waste of strength to walk for mUes and miles between stone walls. The roads are steeper than an inhabitant of East Anglia could conceive in his wildest dreams ; Fanny is carried in a hammock, a common mode of conveyance here, and both a picturesque and a luxuri- ous one. There is one coniferous tree in the gardens here which strikes me very much by its grace and beauty; it is a weeping Cypress which the people call the Cedar (Cedro), but it is, I believe, a true Cypress, a Cypress of Goa, Cupressus glacua if I am not mistaken. I will try to get cones of it, but I am afraid it would be tender in England. It has some- thing of the look of the Deodar, but much more decidedly weeping. December 21st. We have had a pleasant ride 6 A VISIT TO MADEIRA to-day to a place called Palheiro, where there are large woods (planted) of Pinasters, at some height above the level of Funchal. We got to some wild ground and had a little botanizing, and I was de- lighted at finding abundance of the beautiful Hare's Foot Fern, Davallia Canariensis, growing on low stone dykes, and at the roots of Chestnut trees. In one place a great patch of ground was covered with a Cape Pelargonium (the old Rose scented Geranium of gardens), completely naturalized and to all appear- ance wild ; and close by was another large patch of a beautiful Oxalis, I believe also a Cape plant and naturalized. I hope you will not be quite out of patience at the quantity of botany I have given you in this letter, but I know you have, like myself, a liking for such things, and I think you would enjoy Madeira if you could be brought hither without undergoing the sea voyage. Some of our fellow- passengers were pleasant, in particular, Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Spring Rice, whom we have seen several times since we landed. Your very affectionate step-son, C. J. F. BUNBURY. Funchal, December 2Mh. Mr. Stoddart, the consul, tells me that the cultivation of the sweet potato in this island has much increased since the vine began to fail. It is a plant of very easy culture, and very productive. He also told me on the authority of Mr. Murray, consul in TenerifFe, that the export of cochineal, the produce of TenerifFe, in the first nine months of this (?) year, amounted to the value of £160,000. The rearing of cochineal in Madeira is an experiment newly commenced. December 2Sth. We rode out along the coast road, to the eastward, as far as the Church of S. Gonzalo, returning by the Palheiro road. The road, as usual, a succession of steep ascents and descents, crossing CHURCH OF S. GONZALO 7 ravine after ravine: fine views of the rugged and precipitous coast to the eastward, as far as Cape Garajao, or the Brazen Head : the sea bursting and foaming gloriously against the black rocks. The ravines with their mixture of wild rocks and luxu- riant culture, their bold escarpments of black basalt here and there mantled with fern and brambles : their terraced plots of soil, rich with sugar-cane, and orange and fig and peach trees, and the strange uncouth contorted stems of the prickly pear, every- where clambering among the rocks and walls, — always excite in me fresh admiration. We saw beautiful masses of china roses, scarlet pelargoniums and hehotropes, growing half wild among the rocks. Adjoining the Church of S. Gonzalo, two fine date- palms form very pleasing objects in the landscape. A pretty shrubby cassia in full flower, abundant among the prickly pears in several places along the coast road, but I suspect not indigenous. The stone walls in some places beautifully adorned with Davallia Canariensis and Polypodium vulgare, both which I saw growing also, but less luxuriantly, in the crevices of basaltic rocks. A remarkable - looking plant, probably Crassulaceous (a Sempervivum) (?) with almost shrubby stems, and large broad succulent leaves spreading in rosettes,— reminding me very much of some of the Cape Crassulas, — frequent on the basaltic rocks, as I have seen it in several other places near Funchal, but without flower. A tallish tree of the Brazilian Araucaria, of its characteristic broad headed form, growing in a garden in the outskirts of the city, as one goes out to the eastward by the coast road. Fine sections, in various places along this road, of strata of tufa, and volcanic cinders, covering and covered by thick beds of solid, hard, heavy, dark-grey basalt, in part very compact, in part more or less porous and vesicular. In general, the upper part of each bed of basalt is vesicular, the middle and lower parts very compact. In other 8 A VISIT TO MADEIRA respects the character of the basaltic lava appears to be very constant, while those of the different la,yers of cinders and scoria and tufa are extremely various. In one place 1 observed numerous angular pieces and blocks of basalt imbedded in the tufa. Funchal. The fruits now in season here are bananas, which are excellent; oranges also very good, especially the dehcious little Tangerines, — apples, guavas, (Psidium pomiferum), and the anona or custard apple (Anona squamosa) (?). The last is of an irregular roundish egg-shape, the outside of a dusky greenish-brown colour, marked in a somewhat reticulated pattern with slightly raised lines, which are the vestiges of the lines of junction of the different carpels composing the fruit, the interior (the partitions between the carpels being completely obliterated), is filled with a delicate white creamy pulp, of a very agreeable flavour. In this pulp are imbedded a variable number of large, hard, dark brown oval seeds, either two-edged or very unequally three-sided. There are generally some traces of the central column or receptacle, to which the carpels were originally attached. The tree, which is frequent in the gardens here, has large, handsome, smooth, oblong leaves, of a fine slightly glaucous green, arranged in a very regular two-ranked and alter- nate order on the slender branches. Six different varieties of bananas, I am told, are cultivated in this island, of which that called the silver banana is the finest. December ^\st. M. Hartung (a German naturalist settled here), tells I^yell that the Papilio (Vanessa) Atalanta found in this island, is a slight variety, differing from the European form by a minute but constant difference in the complicated markings of the under-side of the wings, A similar (but not the same) minute mark distinguishes the North American variety of Atalanta. Mr. Lowe ascertained sixty species of Helix (including Bulimus and Achatina) CAPTAIN KEPPEL 9 in Madeira and Porto Santo; Mr. WoUaston has since discovered nearly as many more. To HIS Father. Funchal, January Srd, 1854. My dear Father, We continue to enjoy Madeira very much, though the weather has not been as favourable as might be ; indeed, it is considered uncommonly bad weather for this country, very changeable, stormy, and at times raw and chilly, with frequent and some- times very violent showers. Last week indeed, for two or three days, it rained in such deluges as to remind me of the tropics, and the little streams that flow in deep channels through the town were swollen into deep and furious torrents ; whUe the wind blew with such violence from the south, that every vessel was obliged to quit the bay, for the anchorage is so insecure and the bay so much exposed, that all vessels are obliged to stand out to sea when it begins to blow from the south or south-west, to avoid being driven on shore. Towards the end of this gale arrived the Sierra Leone packet in five days from England. She landed her mails, but as the weather was so rough and threatening, the Captain did not choose either to land his passengers, or to wait to take on board the letters for Teneriffe ; but the un- fortunate passengers for Madeira were carried on to be landed at the Cape de Verds or at Sierra Leone ! On Saturday, the St. Jean d'Arc, of 101 guns, Captain Keppel,^ came in ; I happened to be on the beach when she came to anchor, and saw her salute the forts, which was a pretty sight. She went to sea again on Monday, Captain Keppel's orders being to cruise in these latitudes. He offered Charles Lyell passage to Porto Santo, which Lyell gladly accepted, as he wanted very much to examine that island, and ' Afterwards Admiral Sir Henry Keppel. 10 A VISIT TO MADEIRA it is seldom that there is any opportunity of going thither, except in the wretched country boats : so he is gone off on an expedition of some days : Mary remaining here with us. The weather is still very unsettled ; the morning often beautiful, but the clouds generally gather about the mountains early in the day, and gradually descend, so that however fine it may be when we set out on an excursion, we have always a good chance of a wetting before the end of it. The changes of temperature too are frequent and rapid, so that it must be trying weather to delicate invalids. But still it is very different indeed from an English winter ; on the worst days, there are beautiful gleams, and when the sun does shine in this country, he is sure to make himself really felt ; unlike the cold sickly ineffectual mock sunshine of an English winter's day. And when the conflict of rain and sunshine produces more frequent and more splendid rainbows than I ever saw in any other country. I continue to be as much charmed as ever with the scenery and the gardens of Funchal. It is a constant delight to me to see the beautiful Bignonias, Daturas, Passion-flowers, &c., that hang over the garden walls and cover the trellises and porches. But of native plants there are very few in flower at this season, so few as rather to surprise me ; not a greater proportion, I think, than at Nice, notwithstanding the considerable difference of lati- tude. I have as yet collected only fourteen of the forty Ferns which have been discovered in Madeira : the best localities for them are in the interior and higher parts of the Island. We made a little ex- cursion up the hiUs yesterday, and had a pleasant botanizing ramble in the chestnut woods, but did not find very much. We returned down the hill from the Mount Church (Nossa Senhora do Monte) in a very curious conveyance — a basket-sledge, — some- thing like a large basket placed upon skates ; we all three sat side by side, and three men impelling and THE LITTLE CURRAL 11 guiding the sledge (one on each side and one behind), we went down the all but perpendicular road at a most astonishing pace. It was an odd sort of loco- motion, very like the accounts of the "Montagnes Russes." January Uh, 1854. This has been a most beautiful day, quite a summer day, and we made a delightful ex- pedition to what is called the Little Curral, a beauti- ful wild glen of great depth among the mountains to the north-east of the town. It abounds with Ferns, and I made some additions to my collection. The wild and beautiful scenery, the interesting botany, the bright sunshine and pleasant temperature of the air, our sociable and well-assorted little party, made it a most enjoyable day. Excessive steepness of the mountains, great boldness and variety in their forms, and singularly deep and abrupt ravines, are characteristics of Madeira scenery. But much the boldest and wildest scenery, we are told, is on the north side of the island. On this side, above the cultivated region, there is perhaps rather a deficiency of wood ; no native wood at all ; some Chestnut woods here and there, and extensive plantations of Pinasters ; but on the whole the upper parts of the mountains appear rather bare, though much less so than the Apennines. The peasantry here are wretchedly poor, but there are not, as is imagined in England, any visible in- dications of a state of actual famine, nor do any positively shocking appearances of distress meet the eye. The children and old people are generally beggars, but it is difficult to know how far this is the effect of actual want, and how far it is habitual, The people seem very industrious ; on the steepest mountain sides, where they are all but precipitous, one sees little patches of cultivated ground, labori- ously terraced and supported by stone walls, in places where one wonders how anybody can get to them to work. The failure of the vines was the 12 A VISIT TO MADEIRA Ifeavier blow, because the vintage had become the whole reliance of the people of Madeira, they thought of nothing but the culture of the vine. Since the grape disease, I understand, they have begun to cultivate a greater variety of things, and to try other kinds of produce, but they are much in want of assistance and encouragement from their Government. It is supposed that sugar and coffee might be successfully grown on a large scale in this island. Certainly both the plants appear to thrive exceedingly here, and many individuals use Coffee grown in their own gardens. If the climate be really hot enough to bring these products to full perfection (which perhaps remains to be seen) the great cheapness of labour here would be an im- portant advantage. Trials are now making with respect to the rearing of cochineal on the cactus; that is becoming a very important article of export from the Canaries, but 1 am afraid it does not follow that it would succeed equally in Madeira, the climate of which is so much more damp than either of the Canaries or of Mexico. Your very affectionate son, C. J. F. BUNBURY. January 4>th. We rode to the Little Curral, as it is called, about north-east of the city. We ascended to N. Senhora do Monte, then turned to the east, and after riding a Uttle way, found ourselves in a scene of striking beauty. We were on the edge of a very deep and wild glen, at the bottom of which a beautiful mountain stream, white with foam, wound its rapid and impetuous course between overhanging rocks fringed with Fern and Heath ; the mountain sides descending to it in declivities all but precipitous, and rising again far above where we were : every- where excessively steep, and often rising in abrupt craggy masses and walls of rock. No wood, except LAURUS NOBILIS 13 here and there a few pines. Higher up the glen the mountains rise into still bolder steeps and peaks, in somewhat of an amphitheatrieal form. This glen is the Little Curral, and the stream which flows down it is that which under the name of Ribeira de Joao Gomaz, passes by the eastern extremity of the city of Funchal. Here the rocks abounded with Ferns, and I met with a very handsome one which I had never before seen in a wild state — Pteris arguta ; it was growing plentifully on precipitous dripping rocks ; Cystopteris fragilis and Adiantum Capillus Veneris were abund- ant where there was a drip of water down the rocks ; Davallia canariensis far from uncommon on the rocks, and I found a very fine specimen of Asplenium anceps ; Asplenium adiantum nigrum, which is (as far as I have yet seen) by far the most common Fern in Madeira, was exceedingly abundant here. I noticed also Asplenium Filix femina (down by the waterside in the bottom of the glen). Aspidium aculeatum and Pteris aquilina, but not Blechnum boreale. The large Sempervivum, very abundant on the rocks, but not in flower. In this glen were some very large Laurel trees (Laurus nobilis) but not far from houses, and probably planted. We crossed the beautiful clear rapid stream by a bridge, and ascended the opposite mountain by a winding road, command- ing from time to time glorious views of Funchal and the sea, the lower slopes of the mountains, and the grand headland of Cabo Girao, closing the view to the westward. We could trace the beautiful wind- ing of the little river glittering along its deep ravine, till it emerged into the more open valley near Funchal, and at length entered the sea. Continuing to the east we soon after crossed another very fine ravine, through which another clear mountain stream goes dashing down to join the former one. The left bank of this second stream was beautifully hung with Ferns, among which I recognized again the 14 A VISIT TO MADEIRA Pteris arguta. The rocks and shady banks by the wayside were in many places covered with Mosses, but mostly barren, Polytriehum nanum however was abundant in fruit, and here and there Polytriehum juniperinum, or one like it; 1 think I recognised Hypnum lUecebrum. The day was beautiful. The rocks in the IJttle Curral swarmed with pretty little lizards ; but I saw no butterflies. As we crossed the second ravine, a kestrel came gUding by us, very near. January 5th. Pontinha. The bed of black lava on the shore underlying the yellow tufas, is exceed- ingly slaggy and vesicular, with that peculiar harsh- ness to the touch observable in many of the Etnean lavas. It is in irregular layers, just such as might be formed by a succession of flows of melted matter, one pouring over another in the same general direc- tion. Some of the layers are more compact than others. It assumes the various strange and irregular forms that one sees in the most modern lavas of Etna and Vesuvius, and close to the Pontinha it arches over in a remarkable manner, forming a little cave. This, Lyell thinks, may very probably be con- temporaneous with the lava current itself, and not hollowed out subsequently by the waves. A few paces further on (westward) the lava bed is again somewhat arched, and receding a little, exposes a bed of tufa underhjing it. January Sth. Captain Grey showed me the Cheilanthus Maderensis (Lowe), growing on a wall in the outskirts of the city, a little way above the Pico Fort. Captain Grey says that the Gompho- carpus fruticosus grows apparently wild in Sicily; and that Oxalis cernua has within the last few years completely established itself in several places in that island, so as to look like a native. Mr. Veitch tells me that at his villa in the mountains, the Jardin da Serra, which he says is fully 2,700 feet above the sea, he cultivates Fuchsias for food for his cattle, which JARDIN DA SERRA 15 are extremely fond of the leaves and young branches. There is so little grass, that the cattle are generally fed in winter on the leaves and twigs of trees or shrubs, and he finds that there is nothing they eat with so much eagerness as the Fuchsia. To HIS Father. Funchal, January 22nd, 1854. My dear Father, We are lately returned from a nine days' tour in the northern part of the island, in which we have seen most magnificent scenery, and most frightful roads, — I hardly know which deserves the stronger superlatives. On the 11th, Mary Lyell, Fanny and I, with the two maids, set out on horseback, (Charles Lyell had gone on the day before) and made a three hours' journey to the Jardin da Serra, a house in the moun- tains belonging to Mr. Veitch, the former consul at Madeira, who received us very hospitably. The Jardin, though still on the southern or Funchal side of the mountains, is about 2,500 feet above the sea, and has a climate very different from that of Funchal. The Vine no longer flourishes at this elevation, and in the Chestnut woods which surround the place, the vegetation has quite an European character. Mr. Veitch cultivates the Tea tree with great success, and at breakfast he gave us tea prepared from the shrubs in his own garden, and very good it was, and of a very delicate flavour ; while at the same time the Coffee came from his other garden in the town. On the 12th we made a pretty long excursion into the mountains, but the mist was so thick that we did not derive much satisfaction from it. The 13th we set out from the Jardin to cross the main dividing range of the North side of the island. The party consisted of Charles and Mary LyeU, Fanny and myself, Mary's and Fanny's maids, 16 A VISIT TO MADEIRA Major Azevedo, a Portuguese engineer officer, M. Hartung, a German naturalist, — all on horse- back, with a hurriqueiro or guide to every horse. Item — two men carrying a hammock for the ladies to use when fatigued ; item, two loaded mules and some men carrying instruments and luggage ; in all twenty-two human beings, eight horses, two mules and a dog ! I wish you could have seen our set out. We had a long and fatiguing but very interesting journey across the mountains, through some of the most wildly-beautiful and grand scenery; the road at one time running along a very narrow ridge (a " knife ridge, cuchilla" as such places are called in Spanish America), between two enormous ravines with a precipitous descent on either hand ; afterwards wind- ing for a long way round the head of a great ravine, along the almost precipitous sides of huge mountains clothed with a primitive forest of Evergreen trees. Nothing could be grander than looking down into the prodigious depth and gloom of these wonderful ravines, amidst the wild, fantastic, contorted trees, that seem to hang to the sides of the precipices. These mountain woods of Madeira are not indeed to be compared to the BraziUan forests for majesty and luxuriance of growth, but they are singularly pictur- esque and striking. The trees are principally three species of Laurel (Laurus, the same genus with the Sweet Bay), with very handsome, glossy, bright green foliage ; and there is a rich undergrowth of Heath (Erica arborea and scoparia), the Madeira Whortle- berry (Vaccinium padifolium), and other shrubs, mixed with luxuriant Ferns. The Erica arborea indeed grows really into a tree, with a trunk of very respectable size ; the only one I was able to measure was three feet in circumference, and this was by no means one of the largest. The conclusion of this day was not agreeable. It came on to rain violently before we had crossed the dividing ridge; we were enveloped in thick mist. The road was horrible, and PONTA DELGADA 17 for the last two hours and more we were descending by these break-neck ways through a tempest of wind and rain, and latterly in the dark, so that it is really a mercy that we all got to our night's quarters with unbroken bones. The inn at St. Vincente was clean, but otherwise a comfortless place enough, and there was no possibility of getting any fire, either to warm ourselves or to dry our wet clothes. It is wonderful, I think, that we aU escaped rheumatism. The next day, the 14th, we remained in our cold quarters at St. Vincente, and it rained and blew furiously all day. Lyell, who is not easily daunted, made his way to a fossiliferous bed on the mountain above, which he was anxious to examine. For my part I must con- fess that I stayed within doors, the rather as I had no dry clothing to spare. On the 15th, the weather and our prospects began to brighten, and we had two very satisfactory and interesting days' journeys along the north coast from St. Vincente eastward to Sta. Ana. The coast scenery is very grand. The numerous ridges which run down to the coast from the main central range of mountains all terminate towards the sea in immense precipices, shaggy with Evergreens, and furrowed by innumerable streams, while these ridges are separated from one another by deep and wildly beautiful ravines. The streams that rush down from the summits of the cliffs to the sea form a variety of beautiful waterfalls ; we saw one strikingly like the Staubach and 1 should think fuUy equal to it in height ; the water dissolving as it fell into a waving cloud of fine spray: and another reminded us of the Giessbach, the stream being broken into a succession of leaps in various direc- tions. The roads along these precipices, and up and down the sides of the ravines, are certainly frightful enough — worse, I think, than any I saw in Brazil. At Ponta Delgada, between St. Vincente and Sta. Anna, we spent two nights very comfortably at a house kept by the Vicar of the parish. He does not II. — c 18 A VISIT TO MADEIRA keep an inn, of course not, but he extends hospitality to travellers — for money. The arrangement may not be strictly economical, but it is very convenient to both parties. The inn at Sta. Anna, where we spent a day, is extremely comfortable, with a very pretty garden, and situated in a lovely country. Indeed, the country round about Sta. Anna is the most enjoyable I have seen in the island, especially for walking ; one is not hemmed in by those everlasting, hateful stone walls, which are one's plague in the neighbourhood of Funchal ; one rambles through pleasant lanes very like Devonshire lanes, between banks overhung with Fern and Broom and Brambles and abounding with Violets, and through little mossy and ferny dells that remind one of Wales and the north of Devonshire. The aspect of the country is quite unlike this side of the island, and has nothing of the tropical character which is so conspicuous here ; perhaps it is on the whole more like the south-west of France than any other country I have seen, but far more beautiful. The day we spent there (the 18th) was one of the most delicious I have felt, neither too warm, or too cold ; soft, yet fresh and exhilarating, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. On the 19th (another lovely day) we turned our faces southwards, crossed the beautiful wooded mountains, and after a long but interesting day's journey, arrived just before nightfall, safe and sound at our lodgings here. We all came back in high health ; Fanny seems all the better for travelling, and it is delightful to me to see how much she has gained in strength, that she can be on horseback for six or seven hours, on the roughest of roads, without being at all the worse for it. The north side of the island is the country for Ferns, we were quite charmed with their profusion and beauty there. I collected nine species that I had not seen before, and most of them interesting and strongly marked forms — in particular a very beautiful and singular Adiantum (reniforme), the Asplenium CAPTAIN AND MRS. GREY 19 palmatum, resembling an Ivy leaf in shape, and the Woodwardia radicans, which is a grand Fern, with its large gracefully-drooping fronds, five or six feet long. Altogether from the wetter cUmate and especially from the less extent of cultivation, the northern side of Madeira is certainly more favourable to botany than this one ; though here too, several interesting plants are showing themselves as the season advances. There are already decided symptoms of Spring ; the Fig trees are bursting into leaf, and flowers and young leaves showing themselves on the Oaks (our common Oak cultivated here), butterflies are becoming more numerous, and — a less agreeable indication of the season — the horse-flies are more than ever troublesome. They call this a bad winter for Madeira, it seems to me that it would make a very tolerable English summer. January 25th. It is hardly possible to believe that we are in the month of January. If it were not for the leafless state of the Vines, and of the Planes and Chestnut trees, one could never persuade one's self that it was winter. I continually congratulate my- self on our having come to this lovely island. What a tremendous winter you seem to have in England. We have formed a very agreeable acquaintance with Captain and Mrs. Grey,^ who are spending the winter here : he is a brother of the present Lord Grey, and of my college friend John Grey ; and she is grand- daughter of Lady Dacre. Both have remarkably pleasant, frank manners, and both are zealous botan- ists, which draws us together very much. It is a great pleasure to find persons of pursuits so congenial to one's own. — I have no time to tell you of Captain Keppel and the gaieties of the S. Jean d'Arc. We hear now that Henry Codrington is likely to touch here with his great ship the Royal George. Pray give my love to Emily and Cecilia and Henry. Believe me ever your affectionate son, C, J. F. BUNBURY. 1 Admiral the Hon. Sir Frederick and Lady Grey. 20 A VISIT TO MADEIRA To Mes. Henry Lyell. Funchal, Madeira, January 27th, 1854. My dear Katharine, I rather think I owe you a letter, at any rate it is a long time since I have written to you, and I am indebted to you for some interesting notices of the botany of Simla, especially of the Ferns. I am disposed to send you some account of the botany of this most beautiful and charming island, where we have been spending six delightful weeks, happily free from the gloom and frost and snow of the winter in England. I know that Fanny has written to you since we have been here, and has therefore given you a general notion of what is remarkable about Funchal, and our mode of life here ; and by this mail she is sending to your husband a capital account of our interesting tour in the north of the island ; you are not therefore to expect from me in this letter much besides botany, and I trust to your love of the science for not thinking me tiresome. The first thing that strikes a botanist on landing at Funchal is the thoroughly tropical character of the cultivated vegeta- tion. The beautiful, large, silky green leaves of the Banana waving in every garden, the Coifee shrub with its bright glossy foliage, the Custard Apple, the Guava, and the Sugar-cane ; the long white bells of the Datura arborea hanging over the garden walls ; the most beautiful festoons of Bignonia venusta, of sky-blue Ipomoeas, and of Passion-flowers mantling the walls and trellises and porches of the houses ; such are the objects which meet the eye every minute as one passes through the streets of Funchal and along those paved roads which extend so far on every side of it. The aspect of the gardens of the city, as one looks over them from any of the higher points of it, is exquisitely rich and beautiful, — quite Eden-like. The climate is so fine that almost all the productions THE DRAGON TREE 21 of the Tropics may be raised with ease and wUl flourish in the open air. Several of the gardens, in which some pains are taken to collect exotic plants, are exceedingly rich, and with a well-directed expendi- ture in procuring plants, a wonderful botanic garden might be formed. Not only in the gardens, but in the plots of cultivated ground among the rocks, one sees everywhere the Banana, the Sugar-cane, and the Cactus, and frequently the Coffee-bush intermixed with the Fig, the Almond, and the Peach treei Bananas are a standing dish at dessert, and of very good quality: and frequently we have the Brazilian Anona or Custard Apple, a delicious fruit. Very good Coffee is made from the berry grown here, and though the culture has not yet been attempted on any large scale, it is not at all unlikely that it might succeed, though perhaps only in a limited district. I have omitted to mention the Orange tree, which is univer- sal in the gardens here, and produces very fine fruit. Amidst all these tropical forms, the tall reed, Arundo Donax, which is largely cultivated, reminds one of Italy. Date palms are not as numerous as I should have expected ; there are a few very fine ones, but they are not generally conspicuous in the landscape, nor, I beUeve, do they ripen their fruit thoroughly. There are a few Dragon trees (Dracena Draco) in the neighbourhood of Funchal, but small ones, I fancy, in comparison with what we shall see in Teneriffe: strange uncouth trees they are, with their gouty-looking stems, their stiff, bare branches that thicken upwards and their scanty narrow foliage, growing in tufts at the very tips. It is a tree that looks as if it might have been contemporary with the Iguanodon and the Pelorosaurus, and quite in keeping with them. So much for the cultivated vegetation of this part of the island, and most beautiful it is. With a view to the native botany, Funchal is rather a disadvantageous station, though not as bad as I at first thought. Cultivation extends so far, and has taken such com- 22 A VISIT TO MADEIRA plete possession of the soil, that one must go a good way before one meets with any of the wild natural growth of the island, and indeed it is long before one can get quit of the wearisome paved roads, and still more wearisome stone walls. The greater num- ber of the plants that one meets with in the immediate neighbourhood of Funehal are either such as come under the denomination of weeds, — plants that grow at the edges of roads and in the borders of cultivated fields, — or else naturalized exotics. Indeed, foreign plants establish themselves so readily here, that it is difficult and becoming more and more difficult to discriminate between the native and the introduced vegetation. For example, a beautiful httle cherry- coloured Oxalis (either speciosa or humilis), a native of the Cape, which was first introduced into the Island by a lady now living here, is become quite wild and very abundant in many places, and has quite the appearance of a native. So also some of the Cape Pelargoniums may often be seen growing apparently wild. The Fuchsia coccinea and Datura arborea are rapidly establishing themselves ; on the northern side of the island, where the climate is moister, they form large thickets in some of the ravines, mixing with the natural growth, and in twenty or thirty years more, I daresay they wiU be well established wild plants of Madeira. The common Broom — Spartium scoparium — which is one of the most common shrubs on un- cultivated ground, and covers large spaces even on some of the high mountains, is said to have been purposely introduced. I have httle doubt that many of the common Madeira plants, whose introduction is less recent and not recorded, are in fact immigrants through the unintentional agency of man. Still there are some places in the neighbourhood of Funehal, where the truly indigenous vegetation may be studied. One of the best is a deep glen commonly called the Little Curral, about an hour's ride from hence : it is a very picturesque spot, little intruded ERICA ARBOREA 23 on by cultivation, the rocky banks of the stream abound with Ferns, and in particular two beautiful and interesting species of that family are to be found there, — Adiantum reniforme and Woodwardia radi- cans. It so happened, however, very oddly, that I did not find these two Ferns in the Little Curral, till after I had seen them plentifully on the northern side of the island, where they are much more abundant than on this side. In the same glen, too, there still remain some scattered trees of the beautiful ever- green Vinhcctica, Laurus Indica, the relics of the forest which once clothed these mountains. On the sea cliffs, too, to the eastward of the city, some inter- esting plants are to be found, though not many are in flower at this season. A magnificent shrubby Echium is just come into blossom, and the fine warm weather that we have had lately calls out new flowers almost every day. The Vine cultivation does not extend higher in general than about 2,000 feet ; above this there are some woods of Chestnuts and Pinasters (planted), but in general the mountains are very bare on this the southern side. When we penetrate into the interior and cross the watershed of the mountains towards the north coast, the scene is very different : the steep sides of the mountains and the deep and wild ravines which inter- sect them, are everywhere clothed with a rich forest of beautiful and picturesque evergreen trees, princi- pally Laurels of four species : the Laurus foetens (or Til) ; Laurus Indica (Vinhatica) ; Laurus Canariensis, and Laurus Barbasano. The undergrowth consists of two Heaths, — Erica arborea and scoparia, growing to a great size, — of the Madeira Whortleberry (Vac- cinium padifolium of Smith, a beautiful shrub), and a few others. The Erica arborea grows really to a tree, and a very picturesque one, with a gnarled and twisted trunk of considerable bulk. All the old trees in these forests are most beautifully draped with Ferns (especially DavaUia Canariensis and Polypo- 24 A VISIT TO MADEIRA dium vulgare), Mosses and Lichens. I collected a good many interesting things belonging to these two latter families, but owing to the length of the days' journeys we were a good deal hurried both times that we crossed the mountains, and my attention was so much engrossed by the beautiful Ferns, that I could not spare much time for the more minute cryptogams. The north side of the island, owing to its wetter climate, and mUder condition, is the true country for Ferns. Their profusion and beauty are quite en- chanting. In all the deep and wet ravines which intersect that coast, we see them clothing the rocks and shady banks, the roots and trunks of trees, the margins of the innumerable rushing streams, and the moist mossy walls : even in the villages they abound. The Asplenium palmatum, Asplenium Canariensis, Asplenium monanthemum, and Adiantum reniforme, elsewhere rare, are abundant along that coast, and AVoodwardia radicans and Pteris arguta grow to magnificent size and beauty. The beautiful Hare's foot Fern, Davallia Canariensis, and the Polypodium vulgare, are the two most generally common Ferns throughout the island ; they are frequent even in the immediate neighbourhood of Funchal, and on the northern side there is hardly a moist wall or an old mossy tree on which they do not flourish ; I found them growing even on the actual beach. — I have during the time we have been here, collected twenty- five out of the forty Ferns which are known as natives of Madeira, and I hope to get several more before we leave it. I will keep specimens for you of as many as I can : as I think it may interest you. I enclose a list of all the Ferns and flowering plants I have hitherto collected in Madeira, from the 18th of December to the present time. The number of flowering plants may appear small, if you do not con- sider the season : but in spite of the warmth of the Madeira winter, a very small proportion of the native plants flower at this time of year. This is certainly a BAROMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS 25 most lovely island ; the two sides of it are very different, but both extremely beautiful. We had a delightful tour in spite of frightful roads, and of a day-and-a-half of very bad weather. We all came back in high health and spirits. Fanny is delightfully well and strong, full of spirit, " up to anything," is on horseback for several hours a day, and quite a different creature from what she was a year ago. She has made a great number of very characteristic and accurate sketches, both here and in our tour, which give an excellent idea of the forms and grouping of the mountains, and of the outlines of the scenery ; and she is indefatigable in making and calculating baro- metrical observations for Charles Lyell. The fine weather, and being much in the air, agrees admirably with me, and I thoroughly enjoy Madeira. Charles Lyell is activity personified, and has made great discoveries in the geology of the island. I have not strength or activity enough to keep up with him, so Mary and Fanny and I generally keep together in our excursions. I wish we may see you in England this year, but I can quite conceive what difficulties and uncertainties you must have in deciding what is best to do. Pray give ray love to your husband, and beUeve me. Your very affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBUBY. CHAPTER XXV CANARY ISLANDS To HIS Father. Santa Cruz, TenerifFe, March 4th, 1854. My dear Father, My last letter to you was written just before we left Madeira. We were kept only three days in quarantine. The very morning after our release, the Lyells crossed over to Grand Canary, and are still there ; but I was inclined to see something more of this neighbourhood, and have found much of interest in it. The character of the scenery is quite different from that of Funchal, and certainly much inferior in beauty ; on a general view it appears bare and savage, and even dreary, but some of the little valleys concealed behind the rugged coast mountains, are really beautiful when one comes to explore them, with charming little spots of rich cultivation, — tufts of Orange and Peach trees and Bananas and Palms, — scattered amidst the wildest rocks. The native vegetation is extremely pecuUar and interesting. One of the most abundant plants is a large, succulent, leafless, angular, prickly Euphorbia, a most thoroughly African type, just like some of those which prevail in the eastern part of the Cape colony, and which you may see in my book. It looked to me quite like an old acquaintance. It grows in vast quantities all over the rocky hills and sea cliffs along this coast in large clumps, dotted 96 M. BERTHOLLET 27 about the hills and rocks, so as to give them a singu- larly spotty appearance, that is conspicuous even from a distance. Another characteristic plant is the Balo or Plocama pendula, a shrub with long slender weeping branches and stiU more slender leaves, the whole aspect of the plant peculiarly light and grace- fully pendulous, Uke a miniature weeping wiUow ; this is peculiar to the Canaries, and is as abundant as the Euphorbia. There are also some other shrubs of a succulent nature and a peculiar character ; a great variety of Houseleeks ; two beautiful species of Lavender ; shrubby Sow-thistles ; and a great variety of curious plants besides. I have had ample occupation in the botanical way during our stay here, and have no doubt I should find enough for a long time. But as we do not wish our knowledge of TenerifFe to be confined to Santa Cruz, we are going to start the day after to-morrow for Orotava, on the opposite side of the island, celebrated for its beauty. We shaU there have at least a good view of the Peak, though I suspect the ascent of it will be im- practicable at this season. It is a very inconspicuous object in the view from hence. I have got acquainted also with M. BerthoUet, the French Consul, a distinguished botanist, one of the authors of a splendid work on the natural history of the Canaries ; he is very civil to me, and seems much pleased to find a botanist to talk with. Believe me ever, your very affectionate son, C. J. F. BUNBUEY. To the swme. Puerto de Orotava, Teneriffe, March 14th, 1854. My dear Father, My last letter to you was written from Santa Cruz. We set off" on the sixth and had a successful journey hither. For the first two leagues from Santa 28 CANARY ISLANDS Cruz there is a tolerably good carriage road, passing through the city of Laguna, the old capital of the island, a decayed and gloomy town, not very interest- ing. At the end of the carriageable road we were met by a hammock which a gentleman of this place had kindly sent for Fanny's accommodation, and she travelled part of the way in this, and part on a donkey. I rode a pony which the Consul had lent me. The Lyells, I should have mentioned, were not yet returned from Canary. We had a most beautiful, bright, warm day for our journey, and enjoyed a splendid view of the Peak, which looked all the grander for being covered very far down with snow. From about the middle of the way the view of it was especially glorious, the lower ridges half lost in the hot bright haze, and a girdle of Ught clouds floating about its middle, whUe the cone with its dazzling snow seemed to soar to an immeasurable height into the sky. It is indeed a noble mountain. We have spent a week very agreeably in this beauti- ful place, enjojdng delicious weather — weather indeed "fait a souhait " for it is neither too hot nor too cold. The valley of Oratava, which has an immense reputation and is called the Paradise of the Canary Islands, is indeed very lovely. I do not however think it more beautiful than Madeira, as the people here boast, indeed both are so charming that it would be invidious and useless to exalt the one above the other. This valley however is said to have lost some of its beauty of late years, through the destruction of much wood, and the substitution to a great extent of the culture of the Cactus for that of the Vine. The rearing of Cochineal is now the most profitable branch of industry in these islands, and certainly it does not contribute to the embelUshment of the country, for the Prickly Pear is as little beautiful as any plant can well be. The Lyells joined us here on the 10th, and on the morning of the 12th, Charles Lyell sailed in a vessel THE CANARY PINE 29 hired for the purpose, for the island of Palma, where he was anxious to visit the great crater, which is very difficult of access. Mary remains with us. We have paid three visits to the great Dragon tree, of which Humholdt gives such an interesting account ; it is in a garden at the Villa de Oratava, about three miles from hence, and is a noble ruin of a tree. One half of it was blown down in 1819, and much has perished at various times since, but what remains is still very grand as well as interesting. At first sight one is more struck with the singularity of its appearance than with its size, but when one goes close up, it appears enormous. We measured it, and found its circumference, round the part of the trunk which remains entire, to be thirty feet, but so much is gone, that I should think, when entire, it must have been fully fifty feet round. This measurement was made at about nine feet above the lowest part of the trunk that is visible above the ground, for there is a terrace against one side of the tree. It is probably one of the oldest trees now existing in the world. We have got some cones of the Canary Pine, which is a noble and most picturesque tree, one of the finest of the Pine tribe that I have ever seen. I am not sure whether it will bear the climate of Barton, but I hope that the seeds will vegetate, and that you will be enabled to try the experiment. It has become much less abundant in this island than formerly, but stUl exists on many parts of the mountains. We saw some fine trees of it in a very interesting excursion we made the other day to the spring of Agua Mansa, which is nearly 4,000 feet above the sea, in a beautiful wooded ravine of the mountains to the south-east- ward of this place. I was charmed with the beauty of the tree heath, Erica arborea, which is the pre- dominant plant in those woods, and is now in profuse blossom. It grows really to a tree, and the effect of its innumerable myriads of white bells is quite lovely. We are both very well. We hope to 30 CANARY ISLANDS remain here another fortnight or thereabouts, then return to Santa Cruz, where Lyell will have many- things to examine in geology, and to embark in the homeward-bound steamer which will touch there about the 4th of April. I have given up all expecta- tion of reaching the summit of the Peak, but I hope to get as far as the plain of pumice which surrounds the cone, at the height of 8,000 or 9,000 feet above the sea. Believe me ever, your affectionate son, C, J. F. BUNBURY. February 22nd. Santa Cruz. We walked out along the coast road to the N. of the town, as far as the fort of Paso Alto. The first remarkable plant which we saw on the rocks at the side of the ravine was Plocama pendula, which continues very plentiful all the way up, scattered over the rocks and hills, a plant of a very peculiar and well-marked aspect which I recognised at once from descriptions. It forms bushes usually under five feet high, but quite shrubby, excessively branched, with long, slender, pliant, grace- fully pendulous branches, and slender almost cylin- drical leaves, the whole of a lively grass-green colour, and having altogether the look of a miniature weep- ing willow. The small bell-shaped greenish white flowers at the end of the shoots, are now just opening. The rocky and stony sides of the hills are thickly dotted over with large clumps of the curious Euphorbia Canariensis, which has exactly the look of those Euphorbias that predominate so much in the " Bush " on the Cape frontier. Its thick, succulent, leafless, angular stems, growing in very thick clumps, rise from the ground at first in curves, and then become erect, all rising nearly to the same height, or when growing at the edge of a rock, they hang down some way, and then rise up with a curve, like the branches of a chandelier. They have either BASALTIC DYKES 31 four or five angles, nearly as often the one as the other: the angles a little waved, beset with short prickles placed in pairs, and they often run in a spiral direction, the sides of the stem between them a little concave and very smooth. The colour of the younger part of the stem is bright-green, but they soon get a greyish or whitish hue with age, so that the general tint of these Euphorbia clumps is a rather pale whitish-green, and their appearance, thickly sprinkled as they are over the hUl sides, is most singular. The milk gushes out in vast abundance on the least inci- sion. It is said to be excessively caustic, but I did not try. The plant is called Cardon by the people here. Together with this and the Plocama, there grew on these hiUs abundance also of the Kleinia nerrifolia (as I suppose) another singular plant with a tall, thick, fleshy, smooth, gouty -looking stem, and long narrow glaucous leaves. This, hke the Euphor- bia, is at present quite out of flower. Sometimes we saw both this and the Plocama growing in close contact with the masses of Euphorbia, and form- ing a curious combination ; the graceful weeping form and lively green colour of the Plocama, con- trasting strongly with the grey hue of the Kleinia, and with the stiff" columns of the Euphorbia. There were also abundance of a beautiful cut-leaved Lavender, with deep violet blue flowers, — I suppose Lavender abrotanoides ; a white-flowered Pyrethrum or Chrysanthemum in great quantity ; a handsome purple-flowered Senecio (or Cineraria), and many other things. Indeed the number of plants in flower was quite remarkable. The basaltic dykes in the ravine of Paso Alto are some of the most conspicuous and remarkable I have seen anjrwhere. We observed as many as eight or nine of them. Three I examined and measured which are crossed by the stream, and seen running nearly vertically up through the rocks on either bank. The first nine feet two inches wide, of very schistose 32 CANARY ISLANDS but otherwise very compact basalt, of a blue-grey colour, traversing red lava which is very scoriaceous, so that the contrast both of colour and texture is very striking; the schistose structure is parallel to the walls of the dyke. The second six feet wide, of very compact and hard basalt, of a distinctly prismatic structure, with its prisms transverse to its direction. The third, four feet eight inches wide, of similar compact blue-grey basalt, transversely prismatic in the middle, and schistose (parallel to the walls) at the sides, it traverses a red scoriaceous breccia. February 24 Lord Arthur Hervey, afterwards Bishop of Bath and Wells. ' Samuel Smith, son of William Smith, M.P. for Norvvich and uncle to Florence Nightingale. 60 BOTANICAL PROBLEMS To Leonard Hoener, Esa. Mildenhall, August 17th, 1854. My deak Mr. Horner, I owe you many thanks for your interesting letter of the 6th, from Berhn. I look forward with great pleasure to our intended visit next summer to so great a centre of scientific, literary, and artistic activity and progress as BerUn, and hope to become acquainted with its celebrities. But above all I am desirous to see and hear Humboldt, whose writings have so long been my delight. I am now reading his " Ansichten " (in German) with great enjoyment, and do not find it at all difficult. I really hope in time to gain a tolerable reading knowledge of German ; more I do not expect. I have seldom passed four more agreeable days than from 27th to the 31st of July. Joseph Hooker really deserves to be called the English Humboldt, for the extent and variety of his scientific knowledge. Sedgwick was in high force, excellent both in his humorous and serious vein ; and I know few men who suit me so entirely or who are in every way so agreeable as Mr. Samuel Smith. We have since had a pleasant visit from my father and Lady Bunbury, and we expect Mrs. Jameson to-morrow, and are going to take her over to Barton. My reading has been rather various this summer : Hooker's " Hima- layan Travels," my father's new book, and "Southey's Life." Ever your affectionate son-in-law, C. J. F. Bunbury. To Lady Bunbury. Mildenhall, October 10th, 1854. My dear Emily, I cannot express to you how much I was touched and gratified by the warm affection and BATTLE OF THE ALMA 61 sympathy of which your and my dear father's letters of Saturday are so full. Fanny seems very well on the whole, but it is difficult to keep quiet in these times of such extra- ordinary excitement. What a time it is indeed 1 and with what a mixture of feelings one reads the des- patch of the battle : joy and pride in the glorious deeds of our countrymen, and sorrow for so many gallant men who have fallen, and for so many families that are mourning for their bravest. What a tre- mendous loss of officers, especially in the 23rd. I suppose there was hardly ever a more brilliant exploit than that on the Alma. It was an inexpressible reUef to me this morning, to learn from my father's note that dear Henry had reached Scutari alive, and was getting better, though his recovery seems to be slow. I had been very nervous about him. I trust he will soon gain strength, but that his impatience to be in action wUl not hurry him back to the Crimea before he has gained enough to bear such rough work. Much as I have felt for his disappointment, the feehng of thankfulness that he was not there almost predominates again when I look at the fearful list of killed in his regiment, and think that, in aU probabiUty, he would have been added to the hst. I was very much interested by my father's military remarks, and long to hear his further criticisms, especially on the battle of the Alma. It appears from the latest accounts that the Russians made no stand on the Katcha ; indeed, I daresay they were a good deal dismayed at being so quickly beaten out of their formidable position on the first river. Ever yours most affectionately, C. J. F. BUNBURY. 62 BOTANICAL PROBLEMS To Leonard Hoener, Esa. Mildenhall, November 6th, 1854. My dear Mb. Hornee, You will have heard from Susan that my lecture at Bury ^ was as successful as I could have desired, and almost more than I could have expected. It certainly was very much indebted to the really beautiful illustrations which she had so kindly taken so much trouble to paiut for me ; I cannot tell you what service they were of, or how much they were admired. I had a very attentive and favourable audience, and a very numerous one — more than 600 persons, it was reckoned— which perhaps is more than you would have expected in a small country town like Bury. It seemed odd the holding forth in a baU-room where I had so often danced in my younger days ; but it makes a first-rate lecture-room. The only misfortune was that my matter was much too copious for the time I could allow myself, and from want of experience, I could not rightly propor- tion it: consequently, as I went on, I found time gaining upon me so much that I was obh'ged to leave out much that I had intended to say, and Madeira, coming first, received more than its due share of attention. In truth, the subject would have required, to do it justice, two or three lectures instead of one. It was an easy subject for me, as I had the whole fresh and full in my mind, but otherwise, not a very advantageous one for a lecture, as being too wide and vague, and wanting unity. Nevertheless, I am pleased to have so far succeeded in my first attempt. Now, having got tiiat off my hands, I shall have more time for purely scientific researches. I shall be thankful for any scientific news you can send me, and pray bear in mind that I live here in the desert, and am thirsty for knowledge. We have ' On Madeira and Teneriffe. DEATH OF EDWARD FORBES 63 good accounts of my brother Henry, down to the 15th of last month ; he was rapidly recovering strength ; and what I think also good, the surgeons would not yet let him rejoin his regiment. There was nothing I was so much afraid of for him as his joining before his strength was sufficiently restored. What an anxious time it is 1 and how long it seems before one gets any authentic intelligence. The siege is a formidable enterprise, in the face of such numbers ; yet to such men as the British and French troops showed themselves at the Alma, everything seems possible, and Henry writes that Lord Raglan is said to be in high spirits, and confident of success. AU. the details are interesting in a high degree, es- pecially the private letters of soldiers as well as officers, which appear in the newspapers. There is a union of domestic affection and tenderness of feel- ing, with heroism, which is very admirable. And then how beautiful is the self-devotion of Florence Nightingale ! She is certainly a most remarkable and admirable person. Your affectionate son-in-law, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To the same. Mildenhall, November 22nd, 1854. My dear Mb. Hobneb, I thank you very much for kindly sending me the very sad news of poor Edward Forbe's death. Most truly lamented it is, both in a social and scientific view. To science the loss will not be easily repaired, and it is particularly sad that he should have been snatched away at the very beginning of such a career of usefuhiess as his appointment at Edinburgh promised. Both as a zoologist and geologist, his acquirements were, I suppose, of the first order, and there were few, if any, naturaUsts of our time, who 64 BOTANICAL PROBLEMS had a more philosophical mind, or wider and more comprehensive views ; he seemed to have in a re- markable degree, that rare and valuable union of large powers of generahzation with patient accuracy and power of minute research ; so that one cannot help feeling that, great as were the services he had already rendered to science, much greater yet were to be expected from him. And then he was so good and amiable and such a pleasant member of society, with such a variety of talents and accomplishments, so much cheerfulness and such an entire absence of vanity or jealousy; the loss is indeed deplorable. Poor Mrs. Forbes, how deeply she is to be pitied. It is singular that within this very year, poor Forbes should have pronounced an eloquent eulogium upon Mr. Strickland, cut off at nearly the same period of life Ever yours affectionately, C. J. F, BUNBURY. To Lady Bunbuey. Mildenhall, December 7th, 1854. My dear Emily, The more one reads about the battle of Inker- man, the more thankful I feel that our dear Henry came off safe. It is not wonderful that the Russians should have been confident of success ; their attack seems to have been well planned, and all the chances must have appeared in their favour, especially after they had succeeded in gaining, unobserved, the posi- tion of attack. Nothing but the most heroic bravery could have saved our army from defeat. No wonder the English and French troops should be full of enthusiasm for one another. Even Kossuth, I see, much as he dislikes England, owns that the bravery of our army was astonishing. I am afraid that the end of the siege is still far off, and that our brave fellows will suffer much in the winter, though per- DISASTERS IN THE CRIMEA 65 haps some of the newspaper accounts of the climate may be exaggerated ; but it seems difficult to get at accurate information, even as to the climate we have to contend with. It is clear that the extreme south coast of the Crimea, under that wall of mountains, where the Arbutus and Andrachne grow wild, and the olive is cultivated with success, must have a mild cUmate ; but I fear it may be very different on the exposed hills about Sebastopol. How lamentable is the loss of so many vessels on the 14th ! and I am much afraid these may not be the last disasters of that kind we shall hear of. Your very affectionate, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To Mks. Lyell. Mildenhall, January 28th, 1855. My dear Katharine, Certainly the state of public affairs is not calculated to cheer one. On every side, clouds and thick darkness. But God is over all ; and one must believe that public as well as private misfortunes all tend to good. The misfortunes of our army in the Crimea weigh much upon my mind. The destruction of that army, which seems all but in- evitable, appears to me the greatest disaster, and the greatest disgrace that has befallen our country in modern times. What was the loss of Minorca — which put all England into a frenzy a hundred years ago ? What was the destruction of Braddock's Corps? What was the Cuabul disaster, compared with the loss of such a noble army? Destroyed, too, as it is, not by the overwhelming force or superior courage of the enemy, but by neglect and mismanagement. Well might Lord John Russell feel that there was no resisting a motion for enquiry under such circumstances. If the advice, which it II. F 66 BOTANICAL PROBLEMS now appears he gave in November, had been adopted, and Lord Palmerston made War Minister, with ample powers, matters might have been much better managed : but now, even if the change were to be made, I fear it would be too late, like everything else these Ministers have done in relation to the war. However, after all, one must not lay the whole blame on the Ministers ; a great deal of it is due to the miserable system, the constant prevalence of interest over merit, and the tyranny of official etiquette and routine. The whole thing makes one sick at heart. God knows whether we shall ever see my brother again. If any of those now out there (except the General and his staff) come home alive, they wUl have cause to think it a most special mercy. I suppose Lord Raglan will come home some fine day, and report that he has buried his army. With much love to Harry and your dear little boys, and to all friends at Queen's Road West. Believe me ever, your affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBURY. CHAPTER XXVII GERMANY To Lady Bunbury. Hotel des Princes, Berlin, May 8th, 1855. My dear Emily, We arrived here late on Friday evening. The railway is an immense advantage in this country, where there is scarcely anything to see except in the towns, and where the nature of the soil makes the formation of good roads difficult. All on this side of Cologne was new to me. We were very much pleased with Brunswick, where we arrived early enough on Thursday to have a good survey of it before night. It is a most quaint, picturesque, in- teresting old town, full of odd old houses with carved wooden fronts and fantastic gables, and odd projections of all sorts : just such a town as one sees in old German pictures, or in Retzsch's drawings. In the crypt under the Cathedral, we saw the coffins of the Brunswick Princes, in particular of " Bruns- wick's fated Chieftain," who was killed at Quatre Bras, and of his father, who fell at Jena. The Cathedral of Magdeburg is a noble building, and there is in it a bronze monument of an Archbishop, with numerous figures by Peter Fischer, of Nuremberg, that is per- fectly admirable. May 11th. 1 am passing my time here very pleasantly indeed, and have so much to do and to see, that I reaUy can with difficulty find time for letter-writing ; but above all, 1 must tell you of our 67 68 GERMANY two interviews with Humboldt, which 1 consider great events. I brought a letter to him from Dr. Hooker, and he is, besides, acquainted with Mr. Horner and the Lyells. We called upon him by appointment, on the 7th, and he received us most courteously ; but we were interrupted by some other visitors coming in, and could not profit by his con- versation so much as I had hoped. However, yester- day he returned our visit, and sat with us an hour, talking the whole time most agreeably. He is a delightful old man, with all the courtesy and polish of an old Frenchman, and with a vivacity and activity of mind that are perfectly wonderful in a man of eighty-five. He is a little bent, but still hale and fresh looking, and so strong that he walked hither from his own house, in a rather distant part of Berlin, and back. He has all the volubility of speech that I have so often heard of, but you may well suppose I was right willing to listen, and did not wish to say much. His conversation is most interesting, and what is particularly striking is his eager interest in all that is going on in all the world of science, his acquaintance with all the newest researches, and his constant desire for fresh information. Humboldt does not appear at aU egotistical, though he is easUy led to talk of the countries in which he has travelled (and I particularly wished to hear him on that subject) ; he did not dwell on his own adven- tures or writings. Desirous as I have been to see him, from my great delight in his writings, I have not been in the least disappointed, but rather have had my expectations surpassed ; and certainly I looked upon him with more interest and veneration than I should have felt for the assembled Sovereigns of Europe. We are very well situated here, directly opposite Dr. Pertz's house, where we dine and spend every evening, and we are quite in the centre of all that is to be seen. Besides Humboldt, I have seen most of the BARON VON HUMBOLDT 69 eminent scientific and literary men of Berlin, and made acquaintance of several with them, from whom 1 have received great civilities and attention : and I have learned much from the Botanic Garden and the collections of the University. I need not say that we receive every kindness from Dr. Pertz. Your affectionate step-son, C. J. F. BUNBUUY. May 7th, 1855. I have had the great pleasure to- day of visiting Baron von Humboldt. He said he had lately heard from Bonpland, who had been mak- ing extensive voyages on the rivers connected with the Plata. He talked of the Mexican volcanoes ; remarked that the line of volcanic vents there, is at right angles with the general direction of the moun- tain chain : and said that he had received specimens of the lavas of Popocatepetl and Orizaba, which (as I understood him) are identical in composition with those of Chimborazo. The variety of felspar occur- ring in these lavas is that called oligoMase, whereas the lavas of Etna (as I understood) contained the variety called labradorite. Humboldt showed us a medal struck in the newly-discovered metal alumin- ium, the metallic basis of alumina. It is of the colour of platina, or of rather dingy silver, and as light as glass, and the impression was sharp and good. He mentioned that he is now engaged in preparing for the press the 4th and last volume of " Kosmos," which is entirely geological. May 10th. A memorable day for us. We had a delightful visit from M. de Humboldt, who stayed with us fully an hour, talking most agreeably the whole time. His conversation is rich, varied, lively, and instructive, like his writings ; and it is marvel- lous to see, at his great age, the activity of his mind, his eager interest in all that is going on in science, and his unflagging desire for fresh information. He 70 GERMANY had looked over my paper on Buenos Ayres, since our visit to him on the 7th ; enquired much about the botanical relations of that country, and was par- ticularly desirous to know what species it has in common with other continents. He told us that Bonpland discovered the Victoria Regia, in the river Paraguay, some years before its discovery by Schom- burgh in the Essequibo, and even sent seeds of it to Paris, but they did not germinate. It is called in that country Mais de agua, and its seeds are com- monly eaten. He said that he had received drawings of the gigantic tree from the West Coast of North America, which I^indley has called Wellingtonia, and that one of these trees was said to be, by actual measurement, 420 feet high ; but, as he remarked, " dest un peu fort." He does not think the genus distinct from Cupressus. Talking of the variabiUty of ConiferjE, he mentioned that he had seen the com- mon Pine of the mountains of Mexico, which has normally five leaves, varying with four, and even three. He remarked the singular fact of the occurrence of true Pines — the Pinis occidentalis, Swartz, on the Isla de Pinos, near Cuba, which is "djieur deau" whereas, in Mexico, there are no Pines below the elevation of 5,000 or 6,000 feet. He said that Columbus had remarked in his Journal, as a singular fact, the association of Pines and Palms — Pineta et Palmata — either in Cuba or Hayti (I am not sure which), and that he, Humboldt, had seen the same thing in Mexico. Speaking of Endlicher's synopsis of the Coniferee, he said that Endlicher had latterly given up botany for classical and philological studies ; had paid much attention to the Chinese language, and had even written a Chinese grammar, "qui ne valait pas grande chose " ; but that he had also speculated, very unfortunately, in railways, and his misfortunes in this way led him to destroy himself. Speaking of travelling in tropical countries, Hum- THE BROTHERS GRIMM 71 boldt gave us a most lively account of the contri- vances to which he and Bonpland had recourse, to procure a respite from the torment of mosquitos on the Orinoco ; of the suffocating ovens into which they crept to dry their plants, after the insects had been driven out by wood smoke ; and of their chmb- ing up to sleep in little huts, or lodges, elevated on the tops of tall posts, to be above the stratum of mosquitos. He said that in some of the missions, they saw people burying themselves under some inches of soil, in order to sleep, leaving their heads only out, with their faces covered by a handkerchief, and collecting the cattle round them, to divert the insects from themselves. He mentioned the remark- able difference between the table-land of Mexico and that of Quito: that the Mexican plateau is inter- sected by no remarkable ravines, but is so level that a coach and six might be driven along it for many degrees of latitude North of the City of Mexico ; whereas the table-land of Quito is cut by ravines of extraordinary depth and abruptness, some of them even 11,000 or 12,000 feet deep, so that often it is a laborious day's work to descend to the bottom of one of them ; and the climate at the bottom is intensely tropical, while it is cold on the plateau above. Fevers prevail much in these deep valleys. Pertz tells me that Humboldt usually stays at the Palace till eleven o'clock at night, then goes home and begins writing, and often does not go to bed till three in the morning. He is a great favourite with the King, who yet never consults him on political matters, as he (H.) disapproves strongly of the course at present pursued. After dinner, Pertz took me to the Academy, where I saw several eminent men: Ehrenberg, Encke, Rose, Mitscherlich, Ritter the geographer, the two brothers Grimm (Jacob Grimm has a fine poetical head), and others. In the evening, a small party at the Pertzes', where I had some conversation with Dr. Ewald, the geologist, Professor 72 GERMANY Gerhardt, and especially with Dr. Peters, a very clever young man, who made a most arduous and hazardous expedition in Eastern Africa, exploring up the river Zambesi, from the Mozambique coast. He seems to have enjoyed this adventurous journey very much, and says that his greatest wish is to go back to those countries. The climate is, however, extremely unhealthy. He brought home a large zoological collection, and was so fortunate as to lose only one chest out of fifty-two that he had filled with specimens, although all his baggage had to be carried by men. He mentioned a remarkable fact which often struck him in his travels : that where the vegetation was most luxuriant, animals were least abundant. He often travelled a considerable way through thick forests, without seeing or hearing even a bird, — very unlike the state of things in South America. In that part of Africa, it seems, there are no Apes, like the Chimpanzee of the West Coast; the only animal of the monkey family that Dr. Peters met with, was the large Baboon, or Cynocephalus, the same that is found in Abyssinia. Lions are very numerous. May IMh. Visited M. de Humboldt again, and found him courteous and agreeable as before. Mon- sieur Pictet of Geneva, with his son, came in and stayed some time. Humboldt talked much of astronomy and meteorology, on which subjects I could not always follow him. He spoke with great admiration and affection of Arago, of whom a fine bust was in the room. He thought it important that there should be separate observatories for astronomy and meteorology, and that the latter science would not till this was done make the progress it might do. He urged me to visit Rauch's studio, and highly extolled the last work of that great sculptor, a marble group of Moses with his hands upheld in prayer by his two attendants; the subject, he said, was suggested by the king, and the DR. RITTER 73 combination of the three figures in one group, might be compared to the Laocoon. Thence he went on to remark, that the story of Laocoon was evidently an Indian Myth ; that the idea of the gigantic serpents, destroying men in their coils, would never have originated in Greece or Asia Minor, but must have migrated from India. Then he spoke of the great serpents, species of Boa, which he had seen in his voyage on the labyrinth of rivers connected with the Orinoco ; that while passing in their canoe through the inundated forests, he and Bonpland had seen many of these great snakes, ten or twelve feet long, swimming with their heads raised above the water. In the same streams (as he has recorded in his travels) were numerous dolphins or porpoises, leaping and gambolling like those of the sea ; and the little monkeys, which he kept alive in his boat, were much frightened at the noise made by these dolphins. This is a good specimen of the discursive style of his conversation. He said that he had been attacked by a sort of scorbutic complaint, which had for some time almost crippled one of his arms, in consequence of the hardships of his expedition on the Orinoco, and especially the excessive damp to which they were exposed night and day; the quantity of decaying vegetable matter being often so great, that a phos- phorescent light was diffused all around. He showed me a new set of maps of Isothermal Lines by Dove, and a large map of the Polar regions, with aU the newest discoveries. May 16th. 1 visited Dr. Ritter, the celebrated geographer, a fine old man, very conversible. He told me many things about Dr. Earth's travels in the interior of Africa. We drank tea with Count von Beust,^ who has had the charge of the mines of the Prussian dominions. He has travelled much, and gave us much information about Spain, in which country he made an extensive tour some years ago. 1 The Uncle of the Minister. 74 GERMANY He says that the silver mines in Spain (near Guadalaxara, I think), which have not been opened many years, are very rich ; the lead mines not so productive as formerly. The quicksilver mines of Almaden are still very rich, but the demand for mercury is not quite so great as it used to be, since a method has been discovered, and brought into use in the Saxon mines, of separating silver from its ores without amalgamation. May 18th. We had another visit from von Humboldt, but a short one. He was very courteous and pleasant. He expressed great satisfaction at Joseph Hooker's appointment at Kew. He told us that the Dutch government are trying to cultivate the true Cinchona in the Island of Java ; a well- qualified person was employed to procure plants from the neighbourhood of Loxa, and plantations were formed on the mountains of Java, at the height of 6,000 or 7,000 feet. He observed, however, that as the Cinchonas are not naturally social plants, but grow scattered amidst more robust trees, of which they seem to require the shelter, there may be some doubt whether the attempt to cultivate them by themselves would answer. He spoke of the imperfect success which has attended the cultivation of Tea out of China. To HIS Fathee. Hotel des Princes, Berlin, May 20th, 1855. My DEAR Father, Of men not scientific, the most eminent I have seen is Ranke, the Historian ; a very odd man he is, scarcely agreeable, but his conversation interested me. Among other things, he remarked that all our best histories of England end just when the history begins to be most interesting to other nations ; and, speaking of Macaulay, he said (I think very justly) that Macaulay has introduced King William so magnifi- THE SCULPTOR RANCH 75 cently, and begun with such a highly-coloured por- trait of him, that he will not be able to keep him up to the same elevation. Ranke's face has a singular expression of shrewdness, almost of cunning, rather than power. — I have seen, and merely seen, the great sculptor Rauch ; a very fine-looking man, but seem- ingly difficult to be acquainted with. His statues are admirable, to my thinking. Kaul- bach's frescoes are certainly very fine, his power of drawing is wonderful, and his colouring agreeable ; but in his large compositions there is too much enigma, too many deep and recondite meanings, — and sometimes a rather bewildering intermixture of human and supernatural agents. — The galleries of the New Museum, in which the collection of casts from sculpture is arranged, are most beautiful ; the gallery of pictvu'es extremely interesting and instructive, being, I believe, the most complete and best arranged series of works of all the schools, and all the principal artists of Italy, Germany, and Flanders, that is to be seen anywhere. It is particularly rich in early German and Flemish works. There is one of the finest works of Van Eyck (the wings of the great picture which is at Ghent) ; some singularly charac- teristic and striking pictures by Lucas Cranach ; and the very finest Rembrandt I ever saw — the Duke of Gueldres threatening his imprisoned father. Correg- gio's Leda (formerly in the Orleans Gallery), is a most lovely picture. I am very much pleased with our brother-in-law. Chevalier Pertz, and I hope you will one day know him. He is a quiet, moderate, reasonable man, very free from prejudice, I think ; cheerful and conver- sible, and seems thoroughly conversant with the modern history of Europe, as well as with that of the middle ages. He is now preparing to write the life of Gneisenau. He is in a most enviable position here, in charge of this splendid library. We set off, the day after to-morrow, for Breslau, and then we come 76 GERMANY back to Berlin, to spend some more days here before we turn our faces homewards. Believe me ever, your affectionate son, C. J. F. BUNBUKY. To Sir Charles Lyell. Hotel des Princes, Berlin, May 31st, 1855. My dear Lyell, I have long been thinking of writing to you, but have really had great difficulty in finding time. Now, having just returned from our Breslau and Dresden tour, I have so much to tell, that I really must make time for a letter. Our tour hitherto has been in a high degree satisfactory and instructive, as well as exceedingly pleasant. I have had most especial pleasure in making the acquaintance of Humboldt, who is indeed a delightful and admirable old man, and whose conversation quite comes up to the expectations I had formed. He has been most courteous to us. Indeed I have met with all possible attentions and kindness from the scientific men of Berhn : but as you have been here so lately, I wUl proceed at once to Breslau, which will have more novelty for you. Goppert was extremely poHte and obliging, and gave me as much time as he could spare from his academical duties, but he was very much engaged with lectures and examinations ; he speaks French very imperfectly indeed, and English not at all, and is moreover very deaf, so that our conver- sation was not quite as fluent as it might have been, though Fanny was a very good interpreter. I was rather disappointed with his collection, which is in great disorder, except the specimens of Amber, which are very numerous, and exceedingly curious and interesting. You know his book on that subject, and he showed me the original specimens there figured, ex- hibiting the mode of occurrence of the Amber in the PROFESSOR GOEPPERT 77 wood of the Pinites succinifer, the structure of the wood, and many other curious details. But since the pubhcation of that work, he has got a great number of additional specimens, which he is preparing to publish, and which he showed me, containing frag- ments of plants, which throw a most curious Ught on the contemporary Flora. Some of them are in a really wonderful state of preservation, especially the capsule of an Andromeda, which looks as if it might have been gathered yesterday. He affirms that many of the plants of the Amber formation are specifically identical with those of the present day ; and certainly, as far as the specimens go, there seems to be no visible difference. He says there was at that period a remarkable mixture in these countries, of plants now characteristic of very distant countries, and even of very different cUmates : and so indeed it must have been, if the Libocedras Chilensis from the Southern Andes, the Thuia occidentalis of North America, and the Lapland Andromeda hjrproides co- existed, as he concludes from his materials. Certainly the specimens do very closely resemble those plants, but it may be doubted whether such small fragments (scarcely any of them longer than one's thumb nail), and those, in the case of the Libocedras and Thuia, without fruit, are sufficient for the positive identifica- tion of species. — Goppert strenuously maintains that the Stigmaria is not a root, but a complete and in- dependent plant, a floating water plant: and he showed me several specimens which he considers conclusive on this point, as being complete and perfect individuals, entire at both ends, but I must own the specimens were not to me quite decisive. I suggested that different things might have been called Stigmaria ; but Professor Goppert is positive that his plant is identical with that described by Dr. Hooker; and certainly it has the same structure and arrange- ment of vessels. However, I found afterwards at Dresden, that Professor Geinitz had taken the same 78 GERMANY view, as to the duality of Stigmaria, which in truth has occurred to me more than once. The Stigmaria incequalis of Goppert, according to Geinitz, is the root of one or more species of Lepidodendron, particularly of Lepidodendron veltheiraianum ; and he showed me specimens from the Saxon coal mines closely corre- sponding with those sent by Mr. Brown, from Cape Breton. Now, it appears to me, that most, if not all of the North American specimens I have seen of Stigmaria, belong to this incequalis. But the true original Stigmaria ficoides is, according to Geinitz, a distinct thing, and this he agrees with Goppert in con- sidering as an independent, self-contained, self-sufficing vegetable. On this point, I must, for the present, sus- suspend my opinion. The outward differences between the two are not very striking. What you have given at p. 371 of your Manual is certainly the incequalis. I was mightily pleased with Professor Geinitz and his collection. I have hardly ever seen a more beautiful or more instructive set of coal-plants than he has got together from the Saxon coal-field. The collection too has been all formed within the last five or six years, as the previous collection was almost entirely destroyed by fire, together with the building, in the revolutionary tumults, in which also the gallery of pictures narrowly escaped destruction. The Professor was most kind and obliging ; he was just starting on a geological tour for the Whitsuntide holiday, but he came to me before eight o'clock in the morning, to take me to the museum, showed it to me in a most agreeable manner, and gave me a great deal of valuable information ; and on going away, he recommended me to Mr. Large, the curator, so that I was enabled to visit the collection again and again at my leisure. Geinitz appears to me a really clever man, his new book on the fossils of the coal forma- tion of Saxony (which I have bought) is one of the most beautiful I have seen. Here, at Berlin, I have been exceedingly pleased MINERALS IN UNIVERSITY 79 with what I have seen, particularly with the Botanic Garden and Herbarium ; and with Professors Braun, Beyrich, and Lichtenstein, and Dr. Ewald. It is quite unnecessary to say that we enjoy the society of Leonora and George Pertz, and of the young men, but we have missed Joanna much since we came back. Humboldt was much pleased with the extract from Mr. Prescott's letter, relatmg to him, which ^ ' Ever yours aiFectionately, Charles J. F. Bunbuey. Berlin, June Uh, 1855. Professor Gustav Rose showed me the collection of minerals in the University ; it is a very fine one. There is a fine set of specimens of meteoric iron and aerolites ; among them, models of the two masses of meteoric iron which fell at Braunau, in Silesia, in 1847, and a piece of one of them showing a very distinct crystalline cleavage, according to the planes of the cube. It is very nearly sohd iron, with the usual alloy of nickel, but with very httle extraneous mechanical admixture ; but a small mass of sulphuret of iron is imbedded in the midst of it. Professor Rose observed that these masses of iron have in very few cases been seen to fall, so that this well-ascertained instance is the more valuable. The Tennessee mass of iron was likewise seen to fall. The aerolites or meteoric stones, of which the fall has been observed, consist chiefly of stony matter, but contain a greater or less quantity of grains of metallic iron, alloyed with nickel. The meteorite of Juvenas, in France, however, Professor Rose told me, contains no iron in a metallic form ; it is a granular compound of augite and a felspathic mineral (anorthite ?), which never occurs so associated in any known rock. Here is the latest aerolite that has been recorded ; it fell as lately as September last (1854), 80 GERMANY about six German miles from Berlin ; the exterior has the characteristic black, slaggy-looking crust, in a very marked degree ; the interior is whitish and finely granular, but with disseminated grains of metallic iron distinctly visible to the naked eye. Professor Rose took much pains to explain to me the characters of the different felspathic minerals : common or true felspar, albite, oligoclase, labradorite, and anorthite. The last four, as I understand him, nearly agree with one another in their crystalline form, in which they essentially differ from common felspar ; but they are distinguished among themselves by chemical com- position, specific gravity, and mode of occurrence. In common felspar, the principal terminal planes of the crystals meet the lateral ones at right angles ; not so in the others. Common felspar, like the others, is usually in the form of twin crystals, but these are combined in a different manner, and their termina- tions never exhibit re-entering angles, as they do in albite and ohgoclase. Common felspar forms a con- stituent part of the older crystalhne rocks, granite, syenite, gneiss porphyry; but never occurs (so I understood the Professor) in lava or basalt. The large crystals found in the granites of the Riesenge- birge, of Elba, and of Baveno, are true felspar : so are the large imbedded crystals in porphjrritic granites, and the fine red felspar in the granite of Egypt. The opalescent felspar of Norway is true felspar, not labradorite. The green felspar ("Amazon-stone") of Siberia is likewise true felspar. Oligoclase very often occurs, together with common felspar, in granite ; often the two may be known by their colour, the felspar being red, the oligoclase white or yeEowish, as in the beautiful granite of the great boulder at Fiirstenwald, from which the magni- ficent basin fi-ont of the Museum here was made. But sometimes both are whitish, and then the oligo- clase may be known by the peculiar striae along the lateral face of its crystals ; these striae, which depend LARGEST PIECE OF AMBER 81 on the peculiar mode of aggregation of its crystals, are never found in common felspar. Albite, which comes nearest to oligoclase in its characters, never occurs as a constituent part of rocks, but always crystallized in cavities. It contains more silex than oligoclase. Labradorite occurs chiefly in lavas and basalts; it characterizes particularly the lavas of Etna, in which it is the only felspathic mineral. It is a little heavier than oligoclase, and contains rather less sUex. Anorthite seems to be a rare kind of felspar, hardly found except in the cavities of the old lavas of Somma, where it occurs in small crystals, in company with idocrase, garnet, nepheline, etc. I saw here also the largest piece of amber that was ever found, valued at the time (1804) at 10,000 crowns. It is mentioned in Murray's Handbook. Also a specimen of amber imbedded in bog iron-ore, from some part of Prussia. Models of the two largest pieces of native gold found in the Russian dominions. Many specimens of platina from the Ural, and one particularly interesting, being mixed with chromate of iron. As chromate of iron has been found only in serpentine rocks, and there are mountains of serpentine at the sides of the valley in which the platina is found, this points to the probable original source (hitherto unknown) of the platina. Splendid masses of malachite, from the mines of the Ural. A very large topaz, of a beautiful pale trans- parent blue, brought by Rose himself, and Humboldt, from their Siberian journey ; and very fine beryls from the same country. Many curious pseudo- morphous varieties of quartz, one of which (in the form of Datolite) has been described under the name of Haytorite. I afterwards visited M. de Humboldt, who was, as before, extremely communicative and agreeable. I found that he had already run through my little book on the Cape of Good Hope, which I sent to him only two days before. He mentioned that he 82 GERMANY had seen some Caffers who were brought to Berlin in the winter, and had been struck with their in- sensibility to cold ; they went about half naked in a severe Berlin winter, when the thermometer was down sometimes to 12 degrees below zero centigrade, yet they did not appear to suffer from the tempera- ture, nor did they catch cold. This was a great con- trast, he remarked, to the Negroes, who are extremely chilly. He talked much of the geography of plants, and touched, inter alia, upon Forbes's essay on the origin of the Flora and Fauna of Great Britain, which he thought rather too hypothetical. He ob- jected to the plan adopted by Schouw and others, of naming the different regions of botanical geography as the regions of such and such famihes of plants, remarking that it was an attractive method, but in many respects fallacious : that there are indeed some regions, such as Australia, which might be character- ized by special families of plants ; but that the plan could not be applied generally without producing false impressions. That there are, moreover, various ways in which the predominance of particular families of plants in particular regions may be understood ; either in reference to the large proportional number of species of such families in the Flora of a country, or to their being confined, or nearly so, to such country, or to the great extent of surface occupied by social species, as the few species of Heaths in Northern Europe. For himself, he had always used in his works, the method of numerical quotients {i.e., frac- tions expressing the proportion of the number of species of each fam&y to the total number of species in the whole Flora), and he thought it gave the truest idea of the vegetation of a country. He mentioned to me some maps of the botanical geography of Europe and of Germany, which he had drawn up on this plan for Berghaus's Physical Atlas. He spoke of the singular fact in botanical geography observable in Siberia, where without any FAREWELL TO HUMBOLDT 83 change of level or perceptible difference of climate, a small river forms an absolute limit to the eastward range of several very common European species. In the evening, at a small party at the Pertzes', I had much talk with Lepsius, the celebrated Egyptian traveller and interpreter of hieroglyphics, a remark- ably agreeable man. June Ith. A farewell visit from M. de Humboldt; extremely pleasant. He had already very kindly made me a present of his " Melanges de Geologic," with the Atlas of Views in the Andes. He talked very agreeably of various eminent men whom he had known, of Warren Hastings, and especially Canning, with whom he was intimate, and whom he described as having a peculiar charm in his manners and conversation. Canning, he said, was not in the least Frenchified, as accomplished and agreeable men of some countries, Russians in particular, are apt to be ; he retained all the characteristics of an English- man, and at the same time was as agreeable as a man can possibly be. When Canning was appointed Governor-General of India, one of the first things he did during his short tenure of that office, was to write to Humboldt, asking him to accompany him to India. And this was at a time when the East India Company were particularly jealous of admitting any foreigners to their possessions ; and they had even specially protested against allowing Humboldt himself to travel there ; fearing no doubt that he might show them up as he had shown up the Spanish Government in his " Essai Politique sur la Nouvelle Espagne." Humboldt, however, spoke with great candour, perhaps with too much indulgence, of the East India Company's government, though he char- acterized it very justly as a gouvernement proconsu- laire. He told us he had been present at the trial of Warren Hastings, and had heard Sheridan, Fox, and Burke ; and he had been present also at the trial of Queen Caroline. CHAPTER XXVIII MALVERN AND MILDENHALL To Leonard Horner, Esa. Bath College, Malvern Wells, October 14th, 1855. My deak Mr. Horner, This is certainly a most lovely country ; I have hardly ever known anything more enjoyably beautiful than these hUls with the scenery they com- mand, and we do enjoy them to the utmost. Hardly a day passes that we do not reach the top and feast upon the views, so variously beautiful on the two sides and so exquisitely diversified by the accidents of hght and shade, and the different states of the air on different days and at different times of the day. The delightful bracing air adds to the enjoy- ment, and I think it would take one long to get tired of such a country. We revel in geology, and Fanny is taking quite a keen interest in it, and from her assiduous study of Mr. Symonds' Uttle book, and from his conversation, is getting up the whole Silurian system capitally. To be sure it is a most fascinating country for geology, a perfect compendium of the older fosili- ferous formations, as instructive a display of them as the Isle of Wight is of the younger rocks. We are fortunate too in having such a well-informed man and pleasant guide and companion as Mr. Symonds.^ You wiU probably have seen Fanny's letter to ^ The Rev. W. S. Symonds. 84 MALVERN 85 Katharine, in which she gave a capital account of our pleasant expedition with him to the obelisk hill in Eastnor Park. We collected that day some good fossils of the lower Caradoc, and saw in the Gullet- wood Pass, an interesting example of apparently metamorphic structure ; a rock which one cannot but call true well characterized mica-schist, yet which certainly appears to be the old Hollyhush sandstone, altered by felspathic dykes. You have probably seen the remarkable example a little further south on the south side of the Ragged-stone hill, where this conversion of the Hollyhush sandstone into micaceous schist by an intruding mass of greenstone is so clearly traceable. But the case I mentioned before is con- sidered by Mr. Symonds as peculiar and exceptional because he has nowhere else seen any metamorphic action distinctly traceable to the true felspathic Malvern syenite. No one, I think, can examine these hUls geologically and fail to be struck with the excellence of your description of them written so many years ago. 1 find but one opinion as to the accuracy of that memoir ; and whether as to the physical geography of the hUls, or to the careful and exact mineralogical description of the rocks, or the philosophical spirit of the whole, it is a masterly work. You know 1 am not given to paying compli- ments, and I say this only because I am strongly impressed with the truth of it. Indeed the geology of this region has been most admirably worked out ; few districts in England better, I should think. Yesterday, a beautiful day, I took a long walk by myself to Eastnor Park, examined two or three quarries in the Wenlock limestone, and collected a few fossils ; but I have not yet been able to find a trilobite. Pray give my love to Mrs. Horner, to aU the sisterhood, and to Charles Lyell, Harry and Pertz. Ever your affectionate son-in-law, C. J. F. BUNBURY. 86 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL To Mes. Lyell. Mildenhall, February 3rd, 1856. My dear Katharine, You will have heard from Charles and Mary all about their visit to Barton and Ickvirorth, and the lecture, which was really a splendid one; almost the best I think that I ever heard him give ; excellent in every respect. It was wonderful what a mass of knowledge he brought into that space, and all so well arranged, all bearing full upon the point, and forming a close, compact chain of reasoning. It was really a master- piece. And though, in that crowded room, there were perhaps comparatively few who could thoroughly follow the whole of it, I think its merit was generally felt. I need not say that Charles and Mary's visit to us, short as it was, was a great treat to us, and that we enjoyed it thoroughly; and I think they were pleased with Barton, From the abundance and beauty of the evergreens, those grounds look well at all seasons ; and the conservatory was very gay indeed, with the various colours of the Camellias, the profuse, bright, yellow blossoms of the Jasminum nudiflorum, and the rich purple of Cinerarias and the Rhododendron Daiiricum. I spoke to the gardener there about some slips or cuttings of Ferns for you, as they have a much greater abundance than we have ; but he thought they could not travel safely in such cold weather. To-morrow I shall be forty-seven years old! A long space of time to look back upon ; and, on the whole, as happy a life, I take it, as most men have enjoyed ; and if I had the choice of living it over again, there are but few things eocternal to myself that I could wish altered. When I compare my oppor- tunities with what I have done, I certainly have no room for pride or vanity ; but I may hope that, in spite of Dean Barnard's doctrine, I am not yet too old to improve or to learn. Now that I have got my LETTER AFTER HIS BIRTHDAY 87 lecture off my hands, I feel more at liberty, and shall return with zest to the study both of Ferns and of Cape Plants, as well as to my general work on fossil plants and the examination of the fossil leaves from Madeira. I am in no fear of wanting occupation. I am stUl going on with Macaulay, which interests me extremely, but it will not last me much longer, and when I have finished those volumes, I mean to read the same period in Burnet. Ever your very affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To HIS Father Mildenhall, February 6th, 1856. My dear Father, I have been more gratified than I can express by your truly kind and affectionate expressions to- wards me in the note which I have received from you this morning. Most heartily do I thank you for them. Your affection and approbation are indeed very dear and precious to me, and I hope and trust, with God's help, that I may always continue to deserve them. I have many and many blessings to be thankful for, and very high among them I rank the love and kindness of so good a Father. If there is any good in me, I feel it is very much owing (under God) to the example of yourself and my dear Mother, to your care of my education, and to the advice I have at all times received from you. It is a great comfort that you are comparatively so free from pain, and I most sincerely trust that you may yet live many years, with the same exemption from suffering, and with yoiu* faculties equally well pre- served. Pray give my best love to dear Enuly, with my hearty thanks for her very kind note ; I will write to her very soon. Ever your truly affectionate son, C. J. F. BuNBURY. 88 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL P.S. — General Simpson, who visited us the day before yesterday, thinks, hke you, of the prospect of peace, and doubts the sincerity of the Russians ; he seems to think that one of their objects is to secure an armistice, which would be advantageous only to them. All accounts seem to agree as to the extra- ordinary eagerness of the French (people as well as Government) for peace ; which is something quite new for them. I have some hope, however, that our Government will not allow themselves to be hurried on this account into a hasty or inglorious peace ; and if they are firm, I am confident they vidll have the support of the nation. On re-consideration, I like the Queen's speech much better than I did at first ; at least, that part of it relating to war and peace ; I think its tone firm and dignified. 1 am drawing near to the end of Macaulay's fourth volume, and only wish there were two more volumes to read. He has a marvellous power of interesting narrative ; he makes even the financial difficulties of 1696 interesting, by his way of treating them. Once more, I am ever your very affectionate son. To Lady Bunbury. Mildenhall, February 19th, 1856. My dear Emily, I thank you for your pleasant letter of the 13th, and am glad to find you are so busy with Mosses. They are indeed fascinating Uttle creatures and you have them in their glory at Abergwynant. I have hardly anywhere seen them so beautiful. I wish you could find Hookeria lucens (cidevant Hypnum lucens) which ought to grow in the same sort of places with the Bryum punctatum, but which I have not been able to find at Abergwynant. I read Burnet nearly at the same time of life as you did, namely at twenty-three, but have never looked at him since, so I thought it time to rub up "HAYDON'S LIFE" 89 my recollections. His slipshod style does not read well after Macaulay, but his simplicity is amusing, and one feels great confidence in his honesty, though not quite so much in his judgment. It is very odd that in giving an account of the siege of Derry, he should make no mention whatever of Walker. As for poor " Haydn's Life," I have seldom been more interested by any book ; it is such a perfect picture of a human mind, such a thorough and undisguised laying open of his character. For the frank dis- closure of character, motives, and feelings, and weak- ness, I do not remember anything hke it, except Pepys ; but it excites very different emotions. Haydn's was certainly a mind of uncommon power; with what vigour he writes, and with what masterly touches he brings out the characters of those he is brought in contact with I He seems to have been unsuccessful as a portrait painter with the brush ; but his portraits with the pen appear to me quite masterly. But it is a very melancholy book ; his faults and weaknesses, poor fellow, were many and obvious enough, but his sufferings were surely much more than in proportion. What is to me almost the saddest part of all is, that with all his powers of mind, all his energy and perseverance, he did not suc- ceed in making a great name, nor as it seems, in be- coming a really great painter. It would seem as if he must have mistaken his vocation. To Mes. Heney Lyell. Mildenhall, March 28th, 1856. My DEAR Katharine, Many thanks for your letter. I am always glad to hear from you, and to have news of your botanical proceedings, and most happy to help you whenever I can. I hope you will have already re- ceived a copy of my Madeira paper. Raddi's name is familiar to me ; he was an excellent botanist, who 90 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL spent some time in Brazil at the expense of the Grand Duke, and published an important work on Brazilian Ferns (which I have not yet been able to get) ; he afterwards went on a scientific mission to Egypt, and died there. There is a monument to him in Santa Croce at Florence. It will be very interesting to have specimens collected and named by him. The mildness of the first two months of this year was favourable to Mosses, and I have found Hypnum splendens, squarrosum, and Schreberi, in good fruit for the first time here ; but splendens is not yet ripe. They have their own times and seasons for fruiting, though this is generally too much neglected in the books : thus, in Wales in November, Hypnum proli- ferum had its fruit nearly ripe, while splendens grow- ing with it, and in equal vigour, was only showing its stalks and veils, the capsules not being even formed. It so happens this is the first March we have spent at home since we have been married, and we amuse ourselves with registering the first appearance of flowers and leaves and birds and insects. I long for the appearance of reaUy mild Spring weather, which would be the best of medicines for Faimy. She is contumacious against doctors, and sets the whole breed of Asclepios at defiance. With much love to your husband and your dear little boys, and to all the party at 53. Ever your very affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To Sir Charles Lyell. My deab Lyell, Mildenhall, May im, 1856. I have been quite surprised on looking back to your last letter, to see that its date is so far back as April 30th ; I did not know I had left it so long BOTANICAL EXPERIMENTS 91 unanswered. It interested me much nevertheless. I am very glad you are trying experiments on the power of seeds to endure salt water. Of the Carices I think but few are enumerated among the plants which have a very wide range: Carex caespitosa is named by Brown as one of those common to Europe and Australia ; and Carex Pseudo-Cyperus is (I believe) common to Europe and South America ; but I do not know of any common to the Cape of Good Hope and other countries ; and what is rather re- markable, the North-American species, which are very numerous, are almost all (I believe) different from the European, Darwin perhaps would say that they are readily modified by climate and other causes, and therefore are not recognized as the same species. But many other plants of the same natural order (Cyperaceas) are very widely diffused. Thus, Scirpus lacustris is common to Europe, North America, Cape of Good Hope, and New South Wales ; S. maritimus and fiuitans to Europe, the Cape, and New South Wales ; S. triqueter to the first and last of these countries ; Cladium Mariscus to Europe, Jamaica, and New Holland. It is most probable that these plants have the same facilities for migration as the Carices, though Darwin has ascertained that the power of enduring salt water sometimes varies greatly in plants of the same family. There is no part of natural history so interesting to me as the geographical part, comprehending not merely the actual ranges of plants and animals, but the theories of dispersion and variation and linking itself on to all the questions about species, etc. The study of fossil plants might have an important bearing upon this branch of science, if one could trust to the data which they afford. Wishing to make out, — with a view particularly to the fossil floras of the tertiary and post-tertiary ages, — how far the venation of leaves (of dicotyledons) can be trusted as indicating affinities, I have begun 92 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL to go regularly through the principal genera of recent dicots in my herbarium, examining and comparing the leaves minutely, species by species, making notes of them as I go on. I have as yet only gone through the Myricaceae (Myrica and Comptonia) so it would be premature to draw any conclusions. — By the way (though it does not bear upon our main subject), you no doubt remember our all remarking that the Myrica Faya wants the aromatic smell which is so characteristic of the other Myricas and of the Comptonia. I have been rather surprised to find that it has nevertheless the same sort of glands on its leaves that they have, and not in small quantity. You surprise me by saying that Hooker was one of the party who " ran a tUt " against species. In all his writings, even in the most recent, his "Flora Indica," he distinctly and explicitly maintains the reality of species, though he holds (and I have no doubt is right) that a large proportion of the species admitted in our systematic works are not valid. Darwin goes much further in his belief of the variability of species, than I am disposed to do, but even he, I imagine, would not assert an unlimited range of variation. He would hardly, I conceive, maintain that a Moss may be modified into a Magnolia, or an oyster into an alderman ; though he seems to hold that all the different forms of each natural group may have sprung from an original stock, even (for instance) that the Ericas of Europe and of the Cape may have had a common origin : which I am not disposed to believe. The Primrose and Cowslip are certainly a remarkable instance of variation, as Henslow seems to have ascertained that they may both be raised from seed of one plant, but do not forget that Linnaeus considered them as one and the same species, from their characters alone, without having any such experiment to rely upon. The fact you mention about the rapid spread of an introduced species of freshwater shell over Madeira, PROFESSOR HEER 93 is very curious. I should not have supposed those creatures to be such good travellers. The analogy of the Miocene Flora of Europe to the existing Flora of N. America, has often been remarked, and is certainly very striking. It is shown particularly in the existence of tertiary fossU species of Comptonia, Taxodium {very like the recent deciduous Cypress) Liquidamber, Juglans or Carya, and a Vine much resembling the American Vitis vulpina. Professor Braun even doubts, as he told me, whether the fossil Taxodium be specifically different from the existing American one. Smilax, which you mention, is not a peculiarly American form. But, in calling all these Miocene, I follow Unger, without being at all sure whether the geological age of the different lignite deposits in Germany, Styria, and Croatia, &c., has been satisfactorily made out. It rather appears as if Unger assumed that all " brown-coal " must be Miocene. I agree with you in thinking Heer an uncommonly clever man, and if ever I live to go to Switzerland again, I will make an effort to see him, I should like to send him a copy of my Linnsean Paper on Madeira, if I knew of an opportunity. Much love to Mary ; I hope we shall meet early m June. ^^^^ affectionately yours, C. J. F. B. To the same. Mildenhall, May 29th, 1856. My dear Lyell, Many thanks for sending me Heer's letter, which I have read with great interest. It is very clever and ingenious, showing, like his printed essay, a very acute mind, much addicted to bold speculation and theory. You as a geologist must deal with his speculations concerning the junction of Europe with America, and its separation from Asia in the Miocene 94 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL age, its climate, &c., all which appears to me abun- dantly bold. I agree with you in thinking that there is some confusion or indistinctness in his reasoning in the first part of the letter, which appears to be based on an implied assumption {not expressed) that repre- sentative species are likely to have proceeded from a common stock, i.e., that species are not fixed and constant creations. It is quite true that we are much in the dark as to the limits of the variability of species: but there is no reasoning clearly or understanding one another in these matters, with- out some previous explanation of what one means by species. I have already said, in another letter, that I can see nothing in the flora of the Atlantic Islands, to require or justify the supposition of a former connection with America. And with respect to the Miocene flora, it strikes me that, before we allow much weight to Mr. Heer's reasoning on this head, we ought to know something of the Miocene flora of America. If the middle tertiary flora of the U. S. should turn out to be materially different from that of a nearly corresponding age in Europe, it appears to me that this would be a stronger argument against Heer's theory than any he has advanced _/or it. It is very odd that Heer should say that " the genus Platanus is entirely wanting in actual Europe:" he seems to forget the Oriental Plane, which is un- doubtedly a native of Greece and Turkey, though it is said to have been introduced into Sicily. The tertiary species of Plane which Heer mentions, seems by his account to differ so slightly from the recent American one, that I should be inchned to think it may really be a mere variety of that ; the differences seem no more than what one may suppose to occur within the Hmits of one species. As to the Tax- odium — Professor Braun of Beriin told me that he really believed the fossil European plant to be identical with the existing American one. These therefore would seem to be instances VENATION OF LEAVES 95 decidedly favourable to Heer's doctrine. Whatever Hooker may be, I am certainly not in alt cases sceptical as to the determination of fossil dicotyledons. In such cases as the tertiary species of Taxodium, Platanus, Liquidamber, Hornbeam, Birch, and per- haps a few others, where the fruits and other parts have been found in company (though not in actual connection) with the leaves, I am quite ready to believe in the identifications, also where the leaves have a very peculiar and strongly marked character, as Liriodendron, and perhaps Comptonia. But where the leaves alone are found, and those of a very ordinary character, I cannot help being very sceptical as to the power of determining them. I gather from Heer's letter that he relies mainly on the veins of the leaves, and I am quite aware that in some instances, those afford good characters, but I wish he had given some of his reasons for thinking that they do so generally, — or some examples of their value. As I mentioned in my last letter, I am working at this subject, examining minutely the venation of all the dicotyledon trees and shrubs I can get at, group by group ; and I must say, that as yet, I have found no reason to think that this part of the structure affords good generic characters. I find it neither constant in the same natural genus (such as Quercus) nor always distinguishable in very different genera. Now to come to the subject of your letter received this morning: I have carefully drawn and described the greater number of the forms of leaves that I can make out in your S. Jorge collection : but have not finished the whole, nor have I yet written anything on the generalities of the subject. With much love from both of us to dear Mary, I am ever. Yours affectionately, C. J. F. BUNBURY. 96 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL June 6th. Arrived in London. Dinner party at Charles Lyell's. Mrs. Jameson, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw, from Boston, the Joseph Hookers and Erasmus Darwin. The fireworks^ and illuminations on the 29th were talked of, and Mrs. Shaw said nothing had struck her so much on that occasion as the vast multitude of people and their excellent behaviour. She admired also the police of London. — Hooker spoke of the great utility of our exploring and surveying expeditions in recent times as the best schools for our seamen and officers, and best adapted for exercising all their most important and valuable qualities, as well scientific knowledge as practical qualities. He is anxious that the search for the relics of FrankUn's expedition should not be given up till everything be ascertained that possibly can be. June 8th. Visited my uncle and aunt at Clapham. Sir William is convinced that the Americans will go to war with us, though he does not suppose that the war wiU be popular in America any more than here. He thinks that the great number of wild, restless, reckless, adventurous young men in America, with nothing to lose and much to gain, will hurry on a war; and that the Government will favour it, as the means of keeping off a civil war between the Free State and Slavery parties. As to our state of preparation, he said — we have a very fine fleet, and a great army, and the most ignorant set of commanding officers, and the most ignorant Ministers, that ever we had! He is not apt to look at the bright side of things. Jtme 9th. Went into the Vernon Gallery, and looked at several favourite pictures. At the Athenseum had a good talk with Joseph Hooker. He says there are no certain limits between the genera Oak and Chestnut ; that the Indian species break down all the supposed distinctions. He talked of the extreme variability of the Conifers, especially ' On account of the Peace. STAFFORD HOUSE 97 of the Junipers, and agreed with me in thinking that there IS no genus in which it is more difficult to fix the limits of species than in Juniperus. He gave me a curious instance of the variability of the Deodar from seed. He lately saw at Bury HilP some Deodars raised from seeds out of the very same cone from which the largest Deodar at Kew was raised, and yet totally unUke it in habit. He thinks it an unsettled question whether the Pinus Pumiho be distinct from Pinus sylvestris. On the descent of the Grismel, he thought he could trace a series of variations from Pumilio into sylvestris. He is sceptical, as I am, as to those determinations, of fossil dicotyledonous leaves, in which the continental geologists have lately been so active and confident ; that is, as to the generic determinations of those which are not existing species. He doubts whether the venation will generally afford valid generic characters. He told me of some truly sSicified stems believed to be of Arundo Donax, and of a very recent age, which Robert Brown has lately received from Egypt ; also of silicified wood believed to be of Banksia, found in great quantities in Tasmania, in a different locality from the Coniferous wood. The wood of Banksia is characterized (like that of the Cape Proteaceae) by large and wavy medullary rays. June 13th. Paid some visits with Fanny, and afterwards went with her and Mary and Joanna to see Stafford House. It is really a palace : very magnificent ; the great central hall and the picture gallery, as fine as almost anything I remember to have seen ; but the pictures rather disappointed me. There is a charming Landseer. At the Athenaeum ; met Sir Edward Ryan and Mr. Bentham ; the latter very much pleased at the prospect of the establish- ment of the Linnasan Society in Burlington House, which he thinks will be very advantageous to it. ' Near Dorking. 98 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL June 19th. Went with Mary and Susan to an evening party at Sir Charles Eastlake's, where there were several handsome women, but few people that I knew. I had some talk with Mrs. Jameson; she remarked (what indeed I have heard others also remark) the increased and increasing splendour and extravagance of women's dress in these times. The amplitude of the petticoats is becoming perfectly enormous. The Countess Appony (wife of the Austrian Ambassador) at this party, displayed a most conspicuous example of this. All Addison's ridicule of the hoop petticoats of his time might well be reproduced now. Indeed they say that actual metallic hoops are coming into use. June 20th. Charles Darwin came in at breakfast time, and I had an interesting talk with him about species, and the various questions connected with their origin, distribution and diffusion. All this — all connected with the geography of natural history, in the widest sense, is to me the most interesting part of the science, and it is that to which Darwin has long devoted himself. I was very glad to find that there is some prospect of his publishing his views on the subject. He spoke with great admiration of Alphonse De Candolle's new work on botanical geography, though he said that Joseph Hooker does not appear to think so highly of it. He is sceptical about the Atlantis, of which according to Bory, E. Forbes and Heer, the Atlantic Islands are the remains ; and thinks generally that the theory of the migration of plants and animals by land since submerged, has been carried too far. He thinks that much yet remains to be learned with respect to the means of transport of plants, and mentioned in particular some observations which led him to believe that the seed of plants might sometimes be transported in earth enclosed amidst the roots of floated trees. He believes also that the agency of birds in the transport of seed has been underrated by De CandoUe. He says he has ascer- KEW GARDENS 99 tained by careful experiment that seeds of West Indian plants cast up by the sea on the Coast of the Azores, have germinated. June 2lst. To Kew gardens. I was sorry to find that the Tree Ferns which used to be in such beauty in the great Palm House, are nearly all dead. Some of the Palms are glorious, especially the Caryota urens, and two species of Cocos from Brazil. Met with Bentham at the railway station, and came back to town in the same carriage with him ; had much botanical talk. He has been much engaged with the Brazihan Leguminosae, working them up for Martius's " Brazilian Flora." He says that species of Desmo- diuvi, even more than other Leguminosae, are difficult to determine without their fruit, and there has been much confusion about the South American ones ; several of which have a considerable range in latitude. He remarked how much confusion and perplexity has been caused by the modern rage for multiplying genera on slight grounds, that no one will now submit to be guided by authority in such matters, and every young botanist seeks to distinguish himself by making fresh subdivisions. Speaking of the Loganiacece (on which he has lately written an excellent paper), he remarked that they are not a very natural group, yet on the whole he thinks the several genera more allied to one another than to any other family. The only absolute distinction between Loganiaceas and Rubiaceae, he says, consists in the ovary, free in the former, adherent in the latter, and this almost breaks down in such cases as Houstonia ; yet it is advisable to keep the two orders separate. Gelsemium, he says, is almost a Manettia with a free ovary. Other genera again, though with so little to separate them technically from Rubiaceae, have really much more affinity to very diiFerent orders ; for the affinities of I/Oganiaceae branch off in many and various directions. June 30th. Went with Fanhy and Minnie^ to the ' Mrs. John Moore Napier. 100 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL JLyceum, to see Madame Ristori in " Pia de' Tolommei." Her acting is magnificent ; certainly 1 have never seen such fine tragic acting. She is a very handsome and noble-looking woman, full of grace and majesty. The play itself is not very interesting, yet the character of Pia herself is fine, and Ristori's noble acting interests one deeply in it. Her personation of lingering death from marsh fever in the last act is almost too painful. — This play was performed in the afternoon, from two p.m. to between four and five, and we found it much less fatiguing than an evening performance. July 3rd. Called on Sir Charles Lemon, found him looking well, and very friendly and pleasant. Talk- ing of climate, he told me that the last winter but one, that of 1854-5, had been one of the most severe he ever remembered in Cornwall ; that whereas ice and snow are rarely seen in his neighbourhood, in that winter there was ice strong enough to bear skaters. Nevertheless, that severe winter was not so destruc- tive to the more tender trees and shrubs as this last spring. He told me that he had had at Carclew the finest Abies Webbiana in England, but it was de- stroyed by lightning about three years ago. We talked about Ferns, and their great variableness, of which he said he had observed many examples in Cornwall. He mentioned a singular variety he had found of Blechnum boreale, with the fronds branching out at the top into a radiating tuft, as has sometimes been observed in the Hart's-tongue. July Mh. A dinner party at Charles Lyell's, Mr. and Mrs. Ticknor, Mr. and Lady Mary Labouchere, Lord Lansdowne, and Captain Murray, besides our- selves. Captain Murray was the chief talker. He is very lively and entertaining, has great spirits and a great flow of conversation, and many good stories. He was much in Egypt when his brother was Consul- general there, and gave a very animated description of the professional story-tellers there, reciting the MR. BOWERBANK'S FOSSILS 101 Arabian Nights. He said that no faithful translation of the Arabian Nights could possibly be published in England, for the Orientals relish no story that is not highly-seasoned with indecency. He was at Cairo when the Hippopotamus (the first brought to England) was there on its way to us : and he told us that the creature knows him perfectly whenever he goes to the Zoological Gardens, but shows great animosity against him. He gave an amusing account of the wild dogs at Cairo, and speaking of the fact that there, as at Constantinople, Rio Janeiro, &;c., they are never known to go mad : he maintained (I think very plausibly) that canine madness is a result of domestication. July 5th. We called on Mr. Boxall, and saw a beautiful portrait he has painted of Lady Eastlake, and a very pleasing unfinished picture of a young lady. He is an agreeable and interesting man, of cultivated mind, but oppressed by habitual ill health, hence somewhat hypochondriacal and fastidious. I went with Lyell to Mr. Bowerbank's, at Highbury, near Islington, to see his collection of fossils, which is reaUy splendid, — a wonderful collection to be made by one individual of no extraordinary wealth. He showed us a great variety of curious specimens in illustration of his theory of the origin of flint from sponges. I could not help thinking, — and Lyell afterwards owned to me that his impression was the same, that he (Bowerbank, I mean) had made out a much stronger case in favour of his theory than we ever thought he could. In particular he showed us specimens of recent sponges which had entirely filled up the interior bivalve shells (pectens), so as to re- ceive the impressions of the interior markings of the shell ; illustrating the way in which flint occupies the interior of fossil shells ; also other cases in which the sponge had filled the greater part of the shell, but left a part vacant and hollow, even as fossil shells are sometimes found, partly hollow and partly 102 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL filled with flint. It appears that the sponge enters into the shell in a state of a germ, when it is very minute, and grows and spreads andencroaches till it destroys the unfortunate shell-fish. He has also abundance of specimens showing how sponges incrust shells and zoophytes, till these are sometimes quite enveloped and concealed. To such enveloping sponges he traces the origin of the common shape- less flints, or flints enclosing evidently organic bodies ; even in the commonest flints he says that the struc- ture of sponge may always be detected under the microscope. The most difficult case for his theory seems to be that of the thin extended plates of flint which often occur in the upper chalk of the South of England ; but these he explains as originating in incrusting sponges spreading widely over the floor of the sea. Of the animal nature of sponges, Mr. Bowerbank has no doubt whatever, though Owen holds the contrary opinion. Besides these things Mr. Bowerbank showed us very fine specimens of the Nipadites, formerly called Cocos Parkinsoni, from Sheppey, in some of which the peculiar fibrous structure of the husk was finally preserved. Also a magnificent series of Echinoderms from the chalk, principally from Gravesend. Also a great many sur- prisingly fine specimens of fossil Turtles, from the London clay of Sheppey ; and more fine things besides than I can recollect. July 6th. Sunday. A beautiful day. Mr. Gibson called, and was very entertaining and agreeable, tell- ing me many good Roman stories in his pecuharly amusing way. There is a peculiar unafFected origin- ality about him, a vigorous simphcity that is very striking. He is as keen as ever after his hobby of coloured (or rather tinted) statues, and talked a good deal on the subject. Gibson's doctrine is that the tinting should be so faint and delicate, as not to have the effect of imitation of life, but to give a certain ethereal or spiritual look to the statue. Here is one MR. JOHN GIBSON 103 of Gibson's Roman anecdotes. He was speaking to a Roman of the determined and unyielding courage of the Swiss, — how they would die rather than yield. The Roman replied — " Si Signor, sono bestie feroci, — they are wild beasts ; we, who are civilized men, know when it is necessary to run away." Another — a Miss Hosmer, an American lady who is studying as an artist at Rome, employed a peasant girl for a model ; and one day this girl, rising up after a sitting, dropped a book out of her clothes. Miss Hosmer took it up, and found that it contained prayers in Latin. She asked the girl if it was her book. She said it was. " But you do not understand Latin ? " " No. But that is of no consequence, for the Madonna and Gesu Cristo understand Latin per- fectly." We went out to dine, and spent the after- noon at Combe Hurst with Mr. S. Smith : and a most delightfully pleasant afternoon and evening we passed : I know no man more charming, more per- fectly to my taste than he is : — so thoroughly amiable, so gentle and truly refined, so modest, so rich in knowledge, with a most delicate taste, and a quiet humour. His three daughters are very agreeable. Mrs. Smith is still at Scutari, assisting Miss Nightin- gale in the care of the hospitals. Combe Hurst is a lovely spot, and we felt the quiet and verdant beauty of its woods most refreshing after the noise and heat of London. To Leonaed Hoenee, Esa. Mildenhall, October 4th, 1856. My dear Mr. Horner, This morning I have had a very agreeable letter from Lyell, from Salzburg ; they seem to have been enjoying their tour mightily, and to be charmed with the Austrian and Salsburg Alps, which indeed by all accounts, are full of glorious beauty, and of interest of all kinds. But it appears that they have 104 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL given up the idea of going further into the Alps, and I suppose are moving homewards : but I do not make out where a letter will find them. I have also lately heard from Edward, from Courmayeur at the head of the Val d'Aosta : — in great delight with Mont Blanc and its glaciers, which he had been exploring for some weeks. He says that, after all his rambles among the Alps, he has come to the conclusion that there is nothing like the group of Mont Blanc. I am glad that noble old man, Humboldt, is still flourishing. Lord Bristol whom we saw last Thursday, is within a few weeks of the same age ; it was on his 87th birthday that we saw him when he entertained the Bury Archseological Institute at his house ; and though he has been very ill this summer, and is rather less active than he was, his faculties are still perfect and his manners are courteous and agreeable as ever. You must be pleased at the elevation of your old friend. Dr. Tait, to the Bishopric of London. I was very glad when I saw it in the papers. I wonder who wUl be Bishop of Ripon, and who will succeed poor Buckland as Dean of Westminster ? Pray give my love to dear Mrs. Horner, and to my sisters, and with Fanny's best love, Believe me, ever your affectionate son-in-law, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To SiE Charles Lyell. Mildenhall, October 23rd, 1856. My dear Lyell, I have been for some time intending to write to you, though I have not much to tell, except that I have been exceedingly interested by your letters, and have learnt a great deal from them : and I am particularly obliged to you for your letter to me from Salzburg. You seem to have been making GEOLOGICAL NOTES 105 indeed a delightful and instructive tour, combining the enjoyment of beautiful scenery with that of geological research. I can safely say that I have learned more from your letters than I generally do from a volume of the Quarterly Journal. I was most especially interested by your observations on the St. Cassian or Hallstadt beds, the deep sea equivalent of the Keuper. I presume you have satisfied yourself that the Germans are correct in their determination of the age of those rocks : and it is very curious and satisfactory to find the supposed barrenness of the Keuper age so clearly explained. It ought, as you say, to be a warning against the assumption that, because any particular beds are barren of fossils, therefore the whole age in which they were formed was barren. The inter- mixture of the palaeozoic and secondary types in those beds is also a very remarkable fact. I sent some extracts from your letters to our friend Mr. Symonds, in Worcestershire, knowing they would interest him particularly, as he has studied the Keuper in his own neighbourhood, and he was very much pleased. He says in his answer to me, — "The more I know of " Geology, the more I am convinced that Sir Charles "Lyell is our best and truest philosopher in the " science, and that the hard lines we have all been " so apt to draw, will at last shade away, and excepting " as local phenomena have no existence in the history "of the planet." I am extremely glad you have investigated, and to a certain degree cleared up that extraordinary and puzzKng phenomenon of Barrandes colonies. I perfectly remembered the account of them in poor Forbes's Anniversary Address. They appeared so unaccountable, that Forbes seems to have been sceptical as to the accuracy of the observa- tion ; but as I understand you, you are satisfied of their real position. Your explanation, illustrated by the instance of the Red Sea and Mediterranean, appears to me the most 106 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL satisfactory that the case admits of. But then will not its application extend much farther than this particular case? Will it not somewhat shake our faith in the precise determinations of strata by specific identity or difference of fossils ? If, in one particular age, two very distinct faunas (different in every species as I understand you), could co-exist in neighbouring areas, and one of them nearly identical with the fauna which was at a later time to people the other area ; if this could happen once, may it not have happened again and again? And will not such a discovery seriously damage those fine lines of distinction which Prestwich and others are so fond of drawing among the tertiary formations ? I have really nothing to send you except comments on your own letters, so I will now say something of that from Salzburg. I do not wonder that you have been delighted with the Gentians, they are a lovely family of plants. I am well acquainted with the three kinds you mention ; Fanny and I, in '48, gathered them and seven others in Switzerland and Savoy, and one more on the Apennines, eleven in all. Whether Gentiana Ger- manica is distinct or not from our English G. Amarella, is a disputed point ; it is difficult to find good distinctive characters, but the Germanica has flowers constantly (as far as I have seen) at least twice as large as those of Amarella ; and that inde- pendently of the size of the plant. Perhaps it is a geographical variety. It is curious that our common Helix aspersa should be wanting in that country. The proportion of British species among the land shells, however, appears to be large ; nineteen in twenty-five, you say. I doubt whether so large a proportion of the plants would be British. Many of the common plants of those sub-alpine districts are wanting on this side of the water. I am going on with De Candolle's "Botanical Geography," but it takes time to read it, as it is not only dry but exceed- ingly elaborate, and requires close attention, for which MOSSES AND LICHENS 107 however one is well repaid. With much love to Mary, ^ «. • , 1 am ever, very affectionately yours, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To Mrs. Henry Lyell. Mildenhall, November 11th, 1856. My dear Katharine, I believe it is somewhere about a century and- a-half since I last wrote to you ; the fact is, I have had nothing very particular to tell, and in so uniform a life as ours, one day slips by after another, almost unnoticed (like leaves falling from the tree — a simile strongly suggested by what I see before my windows just now) till, on looking back, one is amazed at the accumulation. My cryptogamic collection has received a large addition since I saw you : when Mr. Eagle's library and other things were sold at Bury after his death, my father bought and made me a present of his whole collection of Mosses and Lichens, upon which he had bestowed great pains and study. The Mosses are a very rich and valuable set, very nearly complete I believe, as regards the British species ; the result of nearly fifty years' study and collecting, for some of the specimens were gathered in 1808 ; rich in authentically named specimens from old Dickson (who is so often mentioned in the English Botany), from Mr. Dawson Turner, Mr. Brown, Sir William Hooker, and some from Mr. Wilson. I daresay Mr. Brown will remember Mr. Eagle's name. Having been a good deal engaged lately with other branches of botany, I have not yet thoroughly studied the collection, but it is a valuable accession to my herbarium. The Lichens, which are in a large cabinet by themselves, are also, I believe, a very complete collection, but I do not understand them so well. I hope to show you the Mosses the next time you come here. 108 MALVERN AND MILDENHALL I have been busy with the fossil leaves from Madeira, and studying the characters of recent leaves, trying to satisfy myself whether one could safely judge of genera and families by leaves alone ; as far as I have gone yet, my experience is against it. 1 have also been working at the catalogue of my Ferns, but have not been able yet to see my way clearly as to a good principle of arrangement for those attractive but perplexing creatures. Though I spoke of the uniformity of our life here, it has been by no means a dull or solitary one, for we have had (as I believe you have heard) a succession of visitors, and very pleasant ones, both juvenile and grown up ; but no particularly literary or scientific friends, except our unfortunate twice- wrecked friend, Mr. Smith of Orotava, who was very agreeable. After to-morrow we shall be quite alone, and it will seem quite strange to be so. Fanny sends her love, and pray give mine to your Ever your affectionate brother, C. J, F. BUNBURY. February 2nd, 1857. MUdenhall. We have had Charles and Mary Lyell and Joanna Horner with us. Also a visit from Professor and Mrs. Henslow and their youngest daughter. I had not seen Henslow (I think) since the summer of 1854. He is a little older in looks, but as lively, cheerful, and active as ever. His activity and versatility of mind are indeed wonderful ; and living as he does, in an obscure out- of-the-way country parish, his attention is awake to everything that is going on. He has a powerful as well as extremely active mind, (deficient however in the imaginative or poetical element), and if he had devoted it in earnest to science, he might no doubt have made great advances ; yet I think on the whole his talents are more essentially practical than scien- tific. Certainly he has now devoted his time and his talents so absolutely to the improvement of his PROFESSOR HENSLOW 109 parish, and to teaching there and at Ipswich, that the pursuit of pure science has fallen quite into the back- ground with him. He is one of those men of great ability (and there are not a few such in our time) who devote themselves rather to the spread than the advancement of science. Lyell, on the other hand, though zealous in the cause of education and of general improvement, is pre-eminently a man of science, and to my thinking, a true philosopher. It is delightful to see his eager- ness about every new scientific discovery and every subject of scientific research ; and this not merely in relation to his own especial pursuit of geology, but to all branches of natural history. 1 had many interest- ing and scientific talks with him during this visit, and I have put down in another book some notes of what I learned from him in this way ; but no mere notes of facts or opinions can do justice to the amount of scientific and philosophical instruction that I gain (or ought to gain) from his conversation. CHAPTER XXIX VISIT TO PARIS Paris, April 20th, 1857. Arrived at Mrs. Power's^ house, 11, Rue de Monceaux, about 10 a.m., having left Amiens at 6. April 25th. Went with Fanny to the Jardin des Plantes, by appointment, to see M. Adolphe Brongniart, who was extremely courteous and attentive to us. He accompanied us through the magnificent galleries of mineralogy and geology, and appointed another day to show me the collections more in detail. In the first gallery, on the ground floor, is the collection of minerals, which seems to be beautifully arranged, and that of rock specimens ; and above the great cplleetion of fossil bones ; there are also, at the end of this gallery, some large and fine paintings of geological, particularly volcanic, phenomena. Next comes a sort of hall, lofty, but not large, with the statue of Jussieu in the centre, and round the walls tall and remarkable stems of Palms and tree Ferns : among them, a noble stem of Cyathea glauca from the Isle of Bourbon; the specimen of Alsophila Perottetiana with a forked stem, figured in Adr. de Jussieu's elementary work ; and a Borassus remarkable for its trunk, irregularly branched towards the top. The great gallery beyond this contains the superb collections of fossU plants, of recent woods, and of recent fruits and seeds, the more succulent kinds preserved in spirits, the rest dry. 1 Mrs. Bunbury's aunt. 110 M. TOURGUENEFF 111 M. Brongniart observed that it would require a long and elaborate comparative study of the structure of recent woods, before one could undertake to deter- mine the fossil ones with any degree of accuracy; that some families, such as the Proteaceae do seem to be characterized by a peculiar structure of the wood, which may be recognized ; but that in general, the present state of our knowledge does not allow us to determine the affinities of dicotyledons from the wood alone. April 28th. An evening party at Madame TourguenefF's. M. TourguenefF's melancholy ac- counts of the social state of Russia, the miserable effects of the system of slavery. English literature, he says, very popular in Russia, and gaining ground more and more: all Dickens' works translated into Russian, and much read, to be found in almost every town. Graver works also, such as Macaulay and Grote, much read, though prohibited. April 29th. To the Jardin des Plantes ; spent two hours very agreeably with M. Brongniart, who was most attentive and pleasant. He showed me the beautiful rooms containing the immense herbaria, and explained the plan of arrangement ; showed me a part of Tournefort's herbarium, which is kept separate, and of the general herbarium ; of which Vaillant's was the foundation ; parts of the collection of fossil plants ; and some of the hothouses, which are rich, but certainly inferior to Kew. The Museum has lately received a great acquisition, the entire herbarium of the Jussieus ; that part of it which belonged to the great Ant. Laur. de Jussieu is kept in its original state as left by him ; but Adrien de Jussieu added very largely to the collection. May 3rd. In the evening we went to M. de Lamartine's. I was glad to know him. He is a tall, thin, handsome man, grey-haired, with a fine counte- nance. Madame de Lamartine, an Englishwoman, is a very well-informed and agreeable woman: she 112 VISIT TO PARIS has a great talent for painting and modelling ; her paintings on china are remarkably beautiful. La- martine did not talk much. May Mh. Count Alfred de Vigny took us to see the Sainte Chapelle, adjoining to the Palais de Justice ; it was built by Louis the Ninth, to receive a piece of the True Cross, and some other relics which he had brought from the Holy Land. The interior a very beautiful specimen of Gothic architec- ture, remarkable for its loftiness and the graceful lightness of the effect. It has been admirably well restored: the colouring though rich is not gaudy, and assists the effect of the architecture. Windows of prodigious height and beauty, of very fine old coloured glass. Armorial bearings of King Louis, of his wife, and of his mother, Blanche of CastUe, on the walls and pillars. Little cell with a strong door, and a small strongly-barred window looking into the chapel, in which Louis the Eleventh used to lock himself up to hear Mass in security. Recrossing the river, M. de Vigny pointed out to us the old part of the Palais de Justice ; the grim- looking towers with high conical roofs ; the Tour de Nesle, with its somewhat mythical tales of terror ; and the Conciergerie, associated with more recent and more certain horrors. Thence to the Louvre, where we admired the new buildings ; then to the gardens of the Luxembourg, which are very pretty. M. de Vigny very agreeable and entertaining. A curious instance of Russian barbarism, which had happened during the levee in the Tuileries that morning; a Russian general, one of the suite of the Grand Duke, violently kicking and cuffing one of his attendants — not indeed actually in the Emperor's presence, but in one of the state rooms ; the man submitting without the least attempt at resistance ; the French soldiers indignant, and only restrained by their officers from dragging the assailant out of the room. May 7th. A pleasant evening party at Mrs. VERSAILLES 113 Power's.^ Had some talk with Madame Laugier, M. Mathieu, M. de Verneuil, and General UUoa. Madame Laugier (niece of the great Arago), a very agreeable woman, talked much of the recent em- bellishments of Paris, the enormous expenditure, the enormus increase in prices, and especially in house rent. She said the cost of living is now quite as high in Paris as in London. Much talk also about the great review, of 50,000 troops, which took place yesterday in the Champ de Mars. M. Mathieu (the father of this lady, and brother-in-law of Arago) was one of the jurors of the Great Exhibition in 1851, for the department of philosophical instruments : spoke with great admiration of the beauty of the original Crystal Palace ; talked of Mr. Babbage, Sir J. Herschel, and Sir D, Brewster, whom he knew in England. Talked also of Humboldt, who was a very old and intimate friend of Arago and his family. Curious anecdote of Louis Philippe. The last time Humboldt was at Paris, was in December, 1847 ; before leaving it he went to the Tuileries, and had a long conversation with the King, whom he had known in earlier times. As he was taking leave, Louis PhUippe said to him : " Tell my good brother the King of Prussia that I am very firm here ; I am very popular ; all France is at my feet ; the kings of Europe may sleep soundly ('peuvent dormir sur les deux oreilles'), for there will be no more revolutions." Humboldt told this conversation to the Aragos immediately after. In little more than two months' time Louis PhUippe was a fugitive. May 12th. A beautiful day. To Versailles. A very pleasant drive of an hour and a half, through the Bois de Boulogne, crossing the Seine, ascending the steep heights of St. Cloud, from which we had an admirable view over Paris and the entensive plain ; then through pleasant woods most of the way. The approach to Versailles striking, but the Palace does ^ Aunt to Mrs. Bunbury. II. — I 114 VISIT TO PARIS not show well from the Place d'Arnes ; one does not at first at all appreciate its magnitude. After luncheon at the Hotel of France, we went into the palace ; saw the chapel and the theatre, and an end- less succession of rooms and galleries, with acres of battle-paintings; not a little fatiguing. Horace Vernet's battles are, however, finely painted, especi- ally the capture of Abd-el-Kader's camp (" smalah "), which is a very striking composition ; but I had not time to study it sufficiently. The grand gallery, or Galerie des G laces, is most magnificent. We were more interested by seeing the private apartments, in which Louis the Fourteenth and his successors Hved, and especially the suite of little rooms — curiously small — inhabited by poor Marie Antoinette, and in which she was so nearly murdered by the mob in October, 1789. The gardens of Versailles are cer- tainly very fine, in their way perfect types of that style ; the aspect of the palace as seen from them is very imposing ; and, altogether, the palace and gar- dens both have exactly that sort of grandeur which appears appropriate to their history — characteristic of the Grand Monarque and his time. The numerous statues, many of them copied from the finest antique works, have a very agreeable effect amidst the alleys and hedges of clipped hornbeam. Thence through the Park of Versailles to Le Petit Trianon ; were too late to see the palace, but stroUed in the gardens, which are delightful, and very different from those of Versailles. Bernard de Jussieu is said to have been employed to lay them out. They are entirely in the English style ; like a fine specimen of an English gentleman's grounds ; abundance of shade and ver- dure, noble trees grouped or scattered as if by nature ; mossy turf, flowers, wood, and water, with- out formality. Many of the trees are remarkably fine ; in particular, the largest Sophora Japonica, the finest Weymouth Pines, and some of the finest Planes, I ever saw. This is the place where poor ST. GERMAIN 116 Marie Antoinette spent the gayest days of her life. May 15th. The weather is still delightful. We went by railway to St. Germain en Laye, and spent some hours there very agreeably. The situation is fine : the palace and town standing on a plateau which rises abruptly above the Seine. The noble ter- race running for a great way along the brow of these heights (a work of Le Notre, completed in 1696), commands an extensive and very agreeable view over the plain in which Paris is situated : the city itself is not very distinctly seen, but the heights of Mont- martre are conspicuous ; nearer, the bold eminence of Mont Valerien, crowned with a large fort, has a fine effect in the view ; and more to the south, the range of hUls towards Marly. The windings of the Seine, below us, are beautiful. The old chateau, or palace, in which our James the Second spent the last years of his life, is a large, gloomy, melancholy buUding, now used as a prison ; but the situation is far better than that of Versailles. The chapel of the old palace, in which Louis XIV. was baptized, now forms part of the restaurant called the Pavilion de Henri IV. ; it is situated on the edge of the terrace, and commands a delightful view. Adjoining to the chateau and the terrace is the public garden, laid out not long ago, and very agreeable ; beautiful flowers and large shady trees. We spent two hours and a half very agreeably in driving in the forest ; the fresh tender green of the young foliage and the refreshing shade in this brilliant weather, were exceedingly pleasant. The forest is composed for the most part of young and slender, though pretty tall, trees (being cut down at regular intervals) ; oak, beech, birch, and a great deal of hornbeam ; here and there some oaks of a good age and size. We were shown two very large oaks, fine and venerable trees: one the Chene de St. Fiacre, as large as almost any oak I have seen ; the other, 116 VISIT TO PARIS la Ch^ne de Notre Dame du Bon Secours, somewhat less, but a fine tree. May 29th. — A visit from M. de Vigny in the evening : he made Fanny a present of his poetry, in a neat volume, and read aloud some of his poems to us, admirably well ; I never before was so much pleased with French poetry, nor could have believed that it could have so agreeable an effect on the ear. M. de Vigny 's account of the Jesuits, particularly their system of education ; the training of a Jesuit, calculated to develope and cultivate the particular talents of each one, but at the same time, and above all, to keep the mind in the most absolute subjection, to subdue every trace of independence of character, and to produce, above all things, the principle and habit of the most absolute obedience. Thus, for instance, if a Jesuit had a particular turn for reading and study, his superiors would sometimes command him to abstain for a certain time from looking at a book, or would send him to minister to a particularly ilhterate population ; if he became famous as a preacher, they would silence him for a time ; and all this to cultivate the habit of implicit obedience and entire abnegation of will. [In the beginning of June Mr. and Mrs. Bunbury left Paris and returned to England, and went to Sandgate to visit Colonel and Mrs. Bunbury, where his brother had lately obtained a Staff appointment.] To Leonakd Hornee, Esq. Mildenhall, Saturday, July, 1857. My dear Mr. Horner, Lyell's letter on the glaciers is indeed a very remarkable and important one — quite a treatise, fit to make a chapter in the Principles. I have let Babbage read it, as he is staying with us, and he is very much struck with it. It is curious that INDIAN MUTINY 117 Babbage, before reading it, on my telling him that Lyell seemed now disposed to adopt the theory of a gigantic glacier extending across the great valley of Switzerland, suggested that the Alps may have lost in height since then — the very point that Lyell urges in his letter. I am very glad the Lyells are going to Italy ; it will be a great pleasure to Mary, and I have no doubt that Lyell will gain valuable hints from a renewed visit to Vesuvius and Etna. I almost envy them their journey. Of the horrible Indian business, what can one say but that we feel deeply thankful to have no personal friends in that country. The details in the newspapers sicken one with horror. What must they be to those whose friends were among the victims ? It is very evident that a principal cause — if not of the revolt itself, at least of the peculiarly atrocious character it has assumed — has been religious hatred and bigotry of the Mahommedans, which so often gives a licence, and an apparent sanction, to the worst passions of mankind. After the country has been reconquered (for of our ultimate success I do not doubt,) and exemplary punishment inflicted on those monsters at Delhi, it will then be a great and most serious question how such a country is to be governed for the future. Your affectionate son-in-law, C. J. F. BUNBUKY. To the same. Mildenhall, October 22nd, 1857. My dear Mr. Horner, I am much interested by the accounts you give of your Egyptian researches, and very glad that they are in such a state of forwardness. The great mass of facts of a very novel kind, which you have 118 VISIT TO PARIS collected and arranged, will of itself be a most important addition to our stock of knowledge; and 1 feel satisfied that whatever deductions you may see reason to draw from them will be most carefully considered, and worthy of the utmost attention. I shall be delighted to see the result of your labours. I have not read anything of Cicero's letters since I was at college, and then but a small portion of them : but I believe they are very interesting. Middleton has made good use of them, in his Life of Cicero: which I read with great delight while I was detained at Edin- burgh by Fanny's illness. I remember that one of the things which most struck me in reading that book as coming out in the strongest light from all the facts related, was the excessive corruption and villainy of the Judicial body at Rome, in the latter days of the Republic ; and there can hardly I think be a worse vice in the internal state of a country. That, at least, is an evil from which we in England have for long time been very free. I quite agree with you in liking and admiring Arnold's Roman History. I think he is in point of style one of the very best of our modern writers, the moral tone of his work is delightful. It was not his fault that there is much that is heavy in the 1st and 2nd volumes : it is inevitably tedious work to grope for the scattered grains of historical truth amidst much accumulations of romance and error and confusion : conjectural history has neither the charm of romance nor that of exact knowledge : but when he comes to the war with Pyrrhus, to the Punic wars, and above all to the second Punic war, Arnold makes us full amends ; his third volume is one of the most interesting historical narratives I have ever read. It is a great loss to the world that he did not live to complete his work. I am at present reading the Life of Sir Thomas Munro. Several years ago I read more about India than perhaps usually enters into the studies of those FALL OF DELHI 119 who are not in any way connected with the country; and now I have taken up the subject again, wishing to fill up the gaps in my knowledge. The book I am engaged upon is in great part very dry, long details about the revenue of particular districts : but I find also much that is worth remembering. Munro was a very remarkable and eminent man ; with wonderful powers of work, great sagacity, great determination, and very high principles. He was one of the men fitted to gain and to govern an empire ; we need not look far now-a-days for men qualified to lose an empire. With much love to Mrs. Horner and the sisterhood, I am ever. Your affectionate son-in-law, C. J. F. BUNBURY. October 27th. News of the taking of Delhi by our army under General Wilson. The fighting seems to have lasted six days, from the 14th to the 20th of September. Our loss in officers heavy ; 50 officers said to have been killed or wounded : but of non-commissioned officers and men only about 600, which is not heavy for so long a struggle. November \st. The Richard Napiers^ left us yesterday, having come on the 26th ; I could not easily name, among my acquaintances, another couple so agreeable, or so worthy of love and veneration. Richard Napier is a remarkable combination of a powerful mind and extensive knowledge with a feminine refinement and delicacy of feeling. Indeed his sensibility is almost morbid, so that I fear he is not as happy as a man so excellent, so unselfish, so fuU of warm and tender affections ought to be. Although his favourite and especial studies are quite different to mine, I always feel myself thoroughly at my ease in his society, for he has one of those ' Youngest brother of Sir Charles Napier. 120 VISIT TO PARIS enlarged and liberal minds which despise no branch of study, but take pleasure in discussing and acquir- ing ideas in all arts and science. He is fond of argument, but is the fairest and most candid arguer I ever met with ; never out of temper, never over- bearing, never sophistical, never arguing merely for victory, but always for truth. His wife is not less admirable than himself: with rare abilities, with very extensive and sound learning, with a disposition as true, as generous, and as affectionate as her husband's: but with more calmness and self-control, and a less excessive sensibiUty. I have known them almost as long as I can remember anything, and they have always been most warm and true friends to me. To Mrs. Lyell. Mildenhall, November 4.th, 1857. My dear Katharine, I am afraid you are too sanguine in expecting that the mutiny in India will soon be completely quelled. The capture of Dellii is indeed a heavy blow, and a great discouragement to the rebels : but their king has escaped, and as the place was not invested by our force, 1 am afraid that most of the villains wiU also have escaped, and the war wUl go on though in a more scattered and desultory way than before. However, as the rebels could not succeed in destroying our handfuls of brave men before they were supported, they will have little chance after the reinforcements arrive ; but wUl they not carry on a sort of Pindaric war? I expect that the heroism of our officers and soldiers will ia the end save our Indian Empire : but I do not expect the struggle will be a short one. Depend upon it, in such a crisis there is nothing like a military Dictatorship. General Wilson's orders to his army before the assault, I thought excellent. Every care ought to be taken to search out those individuals who have exerted them- SIR THOMAS MUNRO 121 selves to save and protect Europeans, and they ought to be most Uberally rewarded. So also everything ought to be done to mark our gratitude to those native princes and chiefs who have stood by us in this emergency. As to the task which is before our Government, when the mutiny shall have been sup- pressed — that of constructing a good Government for India — it is one of immense difficulty, but there cannot be a more important or more necessary one. I find in Sir Thomas Munro's Life, which 1 am reading, that that eminent man was rather averse to the opening of the trade between England and India, at least he thought it a hazardous experiment ; he thought too that from the habits and peculiarities of the people of India, it was not likely that the exports of our manufactures to that country would ever be very great. I should like to know, perhaps you can tell me from what you may have learned in India, how this has turned out. I find that the Ferns in my collection are about 630 in number. I wish I could say that my knowledge was in proportion to my collection, but with respect to genera at least, I have hardly been able to arrive at any more definite notions than when I began ; perhaps indeed less, for it is more easy to form large and decided conclusions when one has but a partial knowledge of a subject of this sort, than when one has a more extensive know- ledge of its details. With love to your husband and children, I am ever, your very affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBURY. November 28th. Came up to London and established ourselves in Charles Lyell's house, 53, Harley Street, which he has kindly lent us. Called on Edward, and had a good talk with him. He speaks highly of Mr. Buckle's book, the " History of Civilization in 122 VISIT TO PARIS England," which he is reading, says that it is exces- sively theoretical and dogmatical, but that the farther he proceeds in it, the more he is struck with the learn- ing and research, the earnestness and the ability with which it is written. The positive announcement by the Times, that Ministers intend forthwith to propose the taking away the government of India from the Company, has occasioned much surprise and remark. Edward says he has little doubt that the announce- ment is correct, but that it was not intended to be so soon made public. We dined with the Horners, a pleasant family party. Harry Lyell does not think there is any reason to apprehend that a famine in Upper India will ensue from the war : he thinks it wiU not have generally interfered with the cultivation of the soil. December 1st. An agreeable little evening party at Mr. Horner's. I had a pleasant talk with Lady Bell, Miss More, Professor Rogers (the American, Henry Rogers, lately appointed Professor at Glasgow), and Mr. Pulszky. Lady Bell much fascinated by Mr. Buckle's book, which she is reading. I learned much from Mr. Pulszky about the Sanscrit language and literature, in the study of which he has been for some time deeply engaged. He says that the grammar of the Sanscrit is very complicated and highly artificial : that it was evidently much studied, for there are not only very ancient special works upon it, but also large and elaborate commentaries written in later times on those grammars themselves. There is in particular one work on a very singular plan, a long poem relating to the exploits and adven- tures of Rama, but written expressly to illustrate the rules of these ancient grammars, and serving as a commentary on them ; this is done, he says, with great skill. The language is extremely rich and copious, abounding, like German, with synonymous words. The literature immense ; treatises on almost every subject except history, of which there is hardly FRANCIS W. NEWMAN 123 any. As with the Alexandrian Hterature of Greece, a large part of it consists of elaborate commentaries on the earlier writings. There is a vast deal of com- position in verse of the most artificial and far-fetched character — mere tours de force and strained plays upon words. Dined with my uncle and aunt at Clapham Park, Sir William^ very much bent and crippled, yet in good spirits and talking in great animation. He is not, however, more cheerful in his views of pubUc affairs, nor more favourable in his judgment of public men, than usual. — Talking of Raikes's Diary, and of some instances oi prophecy recorded in it, Sir William mentioned the celebrated prophecy addressed to Josephine, when very young, by a fortune-teller in the West Indies — to the effect that she would be greater than a queen, but would fall from her great- ness and die in a hospital. (Josephine died at Mal- maison, which had originally been a hospital.) Sir William heard this told when he was a boy, some time before 1800, by Lady Ancram, who had been with Josephine when the prediction was delivered. At the time when my uncle heard it, Napoleon was not yet Emperor. December 12th. Dined with Erasmus Darwin,' an uncommonly pleasant party ; the William Greys ; the Herman Merivales; the Wedgewoods; Mr. New- man^ (" Phases of Faith ") and Mr. Fergusson, the architect. Mr. Newman's conversation is very good, he seems to have great and various knowledge, but is modest and quiet ; his appearance odd and foreign, and though he has not exactly a foreign accent, there is something foreign in his way of speaking. Mr. Fergusson seems to be a man of great knowledge and abUity. He said that the Palace at Delhi is a building of great solidity, and he understands that it has not suffered much in the siege. It was built by ^ General Sir William Napier. '' Elder brother of Charles Darwin. ' Francis Newman. 124 VISIT TO PARIS Shah Jehan, little more than two hundred years ago. Delhi altogether, as it at present exists, is altogether a modern city, but there is a vast extent of ruins outside of it. He talked of the mud forts in some of the north-west parts of India, which are very difficult to attack, as they cannot be battered, for a cannon ball goes clean through the wall, cutting a round piece neatly out, without shaking the rest, while the defenders stand on a bamboo stage within and fire over the top of the wall. He mentioned also that in the Himalayas it is common for houses and even whole villages to be struck and set on fire by lightning ; whereas in the plains of India, though thunderstorms happen daily at certain seasons, he did not remember to have heard of any accidents caused by them. CHAPTER XXX SUFFOLK— LONDON May Uh, 1858. To Barton, where we found my father very well, on his 80th birthday. My father in talking with me of military men, said that in his opinion. Sir ('harles Napier was superior in real military genius and military knowledge to all his contempor- aries, even to the Duke of Wellington himself ; but he did not think that he could ever have done what the Duke did, because he wanted the patience so neces- sary under the trying circumstances of the war. Nothing but the composed and steady patience of the Duke could have carried him successfully through such obstacles and impediments. Sir John Moore, my father thought, was not quite ajirst-rate General — would never have accomplished very great things as a Commander-in-chief, though he was admirable as second in command. May 16th. Susan Horner sends us a very neat epigram (told to her by Dean Milman) which has been made on Mr. Hodge, who was suspected of concern in the plot to assassinate the French Em- peror : — " What ? Hodge an assassin ? Oh no ! says his kin ; Double ass, if you will. But without any sin." 12^ 126 SUFFOLK— LONDON To Sir Charles Lyell. Mildenhall, June 2nd, 1858. My dear Lyell, Can you give me any information about the Equisetites that bears your name, — Mantell's Equi- setum LyeUii, from the Wealden of Sussex ? I have seen no specimens, but from the figures in Mantell's book on the British Museum, it would appear to be a true Equisetum. If you happen to have a tolerable specimen, and would lend it to me, I should be much obliged ; if not, I must just wait till I can visit the British Museum. I am working at the fossil Equiseta, a subject suggested to me by my having some pretty good specimens of Equiseta infundibuliformis (which I think I showed you) from Cape Breton ; otherwise I find, when I try to go at all deeply into the subject, that my materials are not plentiful. But John Phillips has been very good-natured in answering my queries about Equisetum columnaris, and giving me all the information he has collected about it, — which after all amounts to very httle. It is odd enough (I was going to say singular, but it is by no means a singular case in fossil botany) that we should still have such imperfect knowledge of a plant which is found in so many different localities, and in very great abundance in some of them, and which has been known above thirty years. Both its fructification and its internal structure seem quite unknown. Joseph Hooker, with his usual frankness and liberality, has sent me copious information about the geographical distribution of the recent Equiseta, which I hope to bring to bear on the history of the fossil ones. We have glorious summer weather, which I dare- say you enjoy in the Zoological or Botanical Gardens; but though they may have a greater variety of plants and greater rarities than we have, I hardly think any- thing can be more beautiful or more enjoyable than our garden has been for some time past. I never DEATH OF ROBERT BROWN 127 before saw it so rich in flowers. The blossoming of the Laburnum has been pecuUarly fine this year. Our garden is all ahve with birds, too, and this is a great pleasure to me. I delight to watch them. With much love to Mary, Ever affectionately yours, C. J. F. BUNBUEY. June 12th. A letter from Charles Lyell mentions the death of our great botanical patriarch Robert Brown, and gives some interesting particulars of his last hours : — " Yesterday morning Robert Brown breathed his last. They — Brodie, Bright, and Boott — told him they might keep him alive, even till Christmas possibly, by opium and stimulants ; but he preferred not to live with a mind impaired, and so, cheerfully and tranquilly and in full possession of his intellect, gave way to the break-up of nature. Every one who has been with him in his last days agrees with me in admiring the resignation with which he met his end, and the friendly way in which he talked and took leave of us all." June 18th. Received a panicle of the beautiful flowers of the Pavia Indica, which has blossomed at Barton for the first time probably in Europe. Sent a careful description of it to Joseph Hooker. Minnie Napier and that most charming of children her daughter Sarah,^ came to stay with us ; a great pleasure to both of us. Sarah is equally lovely and amiable. We had a very pleasant day at Ely, with my dear friend Arthur Hervey, his excellent and agreeable wife, their two eldest daughters and Minnie and Sarah Napier. The weather gloriously fine and very hot, as it has been for some time past. A good deal has been done in the restoration and adorning of Ely Cathedral since I was last there. In particular, 1 Afterwards Lady Albert Seymour. 128 SUFFOLK— LONDON the new " rere-dosse " or screen behind the altar is of wonderful beauty: it is of Derbyshire alabaster, most exquisitely sculptured in the richest and most elaborate Gothic style, with very numerous figures, and many small spirally wreathed columns (like those which one sees near the high altars of some of the old basilicas at Rome), inlaid with agate and gold. The beauty of the general effect is as remarkable as the exquisite finish and elaborate richness of the details. The mosaic pavement before the altar is also of great beauty. June 27th, 1858. Heard of the death of old Dawson Turner; I do not know exactly what was his age, eighty-three according to the newspapers, but he must have been much above eighty. Since the death of his first wife, he has been living in complete retire- ment. He was certainly a man of very considerable ability, and in his younger days did important and lasting service to botanical science by his excellent books on Fuci and Mosses. Much interest also attaches to him as one of the earliest members of the Linnean Society, as the intimate friend of Sir James Smith, and one of that zealous band of botanists, whose labours established on so firm a basis our knowledge of the vegetation of our own country. July 11th. The newspapers mention the death of Bonpland, at the age of eighty-five. When we were at Berlin, in '55, Humboldt told me that he had lately heard from Bonpland, who was then, although above the age of eighty, planning a voyage up one of the great rivers of Brazil or Paraguay. Very lately, Mary tells me, Humboldt wrote to one of his American friends that Bonpland was still alive and well, and talked of a voyage to Europe. The next mail brought the account of his death. My uncle, Mr. Fox, knew Bonpland at Buenos Ayres, after he had been released from his captivity in Paraguay, and said he had then become very un-European. The association of Humboldt and Bonpland was a very DARWIN'S SPECULUATIONS 129 fortunate one, they were well suited to be fellow- workers in science, each having the qualities which the other wanted: for Bonpland was altogether a man of detail and minute accuracy, with Uttle taste or talent (my uncle said) for large generalizations, and caring for nothing but systematic and descriptive botany. July IMh. Lyell's thoughts are at present very much engaged by Darwin's speculations on the great question of species in natural history, and the opposite views of Agassiz. Darwin has been engaged for nearly twenty years in a work on the general question of species, which is not yet nearly ready for publica- tion; but at last, as there was some danger of his being forestalled — for Mr. Wallace, who is employed as a natural history collector in the Eastern Islands, had independently taken up some of the same theories, and sent home a Paper containing his own views — therefore Lyell and J. Hooker persuaded Darwin to allow one chapter of his work to be published. This chapter, written fourteen years ago, and containing as it seems the pith and essence of his theory, was brought before the Linnean Society by Lyell and Hooker, with a preface of their own to explain its history; and they have thus made them- selves in a manner, sponsors to it, though neither of them, as I understand, is prepared altogether to adopt Darwin's views. Darwin has arrived at the conclusion that there is really no such thing as species ; that the great law of nature in the organic world is that of unlimited variation; and that by the action of this law under the influence of external circumstances, in an indefinite lapse of time, any form of organic life may be derived from any other. In short he believes in " the transmutation of species." But he differs from the Lamarckians in this, as Lyell tells me, that he sees no reason to beheve in a regularly ascending series of changes, a regular progressive development; 130 SUFFOLK— LONDON he hold that variation may as often and as easily take place in the sense of degeneration as the contrary. Agassiz, on the other hand, as Lyell tells me, argues strongly for the fixity of species, and contends that the different forms which have successively appeared at different times have been produced not by variation or transmutation out of those previously existing, but by direct acts of creative energy. Lyell thinks there is great force in his reasoning. Much of Darwin's argument is built upon the varieties of domesticated animals, such as dogs and pigeons ; but Agassiz meets this by contending that the numerous domestic — races of the dog, for in- stance — are not derived from one single specific stock, but from three or four or more ; as has been already maintained (in the case of the dog and the horse) by Hamilton Smith. Lyell says that Agassiz is certainly a zoologist of very high authority and merit, but that as he has a particularly good eye for minute differences and distinctions, so his tendency is rather to rely too much on these, and rather to multiply species too much than the contrary. His knowledge of botany also is considerable. Lyell says that Darwin thinks him (L.) inconsistent, in maintaining the doctrine of uniformity in geology, and at the same time believing in the creation instead of the transmutation of species. But he contends that there is no inconsistency, since he holds the creation of new species to be an act that is still going on from time to time ; not one that belonged only to former ages of the world. July \Uh. Mary Lyell told me the other day, that she had visited Robert Brown just a week before his death and found him lying in the room which had been Sir Joseph Banks's library, where she had so often seen him before, and where I have often seen and talked with him. He talked quite calmly and cheerfully, recalling the days when he had sat in the same room in company with Banks, Solander and WITS OF THE PAST DAYS 131 Dryander, and telling her where each of them used habitually to sit. Mary told us rather an amusing anecdote of Mr. Motley, the American historian of the Dutch Re- public. When he was a very young man, amusing himself in Europe, he lived very fast, and spent so much money, that his father wrote to him to reprove his extravagance, and to say that he must not indulge in so many luxuries. Motley's reply was to this effect : — " My dear father, the necessaries of life I might perhaps contrive to dispense with, but its luocuries I could not possibly do without!" We talked one day of the diminution of wit : — how there are none now-a-days to supply the place of Sydney Smith, Theodore Hook, or Samuel Rogers. Lyell did not think this was owing to any general cause, such as anything in the state of society, or in public opinion ; but that it was (what we call) casual, just as there was a much greater number of eminent poets in the first quarter of the century than now. I doubt. London, January \st, 1859. A family dinner of the Horners and Lyells. Charles Lyell told us of the good service that Lord Stanley had done by preserving the Botanical Museum (formed by Dr. Royle) at the East India House, which it had been intended to break up. It is a very valuable collection, illustrating particularly the economic botany of India, and its industrial resources connected with the vegetable kingdom. Lord Stanley seems to be doing admirably well in his new Indian department. January Mh. We dined with the Horners ; met Joseph Hooker and his wife. He had brought and showed us some very curious specimens — fossil cones of Banksia, collected in New South Wales, not far from Sydney, in a bed which is 90vered by a great thickness of basalt ; and he had brought also a cone of the recent Banksia ericifolia, to show the wonderfully 132 SUFFOLK— LONDON close agreement between them ; the fossil shewing the thick shell-like follicles (with even the lines of suture distinguishable) projecting from the mass of withered remains of flowers, the unexpanded flowers packed together at the top of the cone, and in one instance a follicle open with the winged seed visible. It is rare indeed to see vegetable fossils so clearly identifiable with recent forms. The age of these curious remains is uncertain, but believed to be older than the bone caves. Hooker talked a good deal of the much-discussed separation of the British Museum collections — the separation of the natural history collections from the antiquities. It seems to be now almost certain that this separation will be made, and Hooker said that for his own part, though at first much averse to the scheme of establishing the natural history collections at South Kensington, he had after much discussion become convinced that it would be on the whole the most eligible site. He said that an admirable plan had been drawn up by Huxley and Bentham for the arrangement of the natural history collections, in case of their being established in a new building. It seems the favourite plan is to transfer the botanical depart- ment of the Museum to Kew ; but Hooker very justly says that in that case, a select typical herbarium ought to be kept in London. He says there are whole rooms in the underground story of the British Museum, entirely filled with packages of dried plants which have remained for scores of years unexamined and unopened. January 7th. We went to Clapham and saw my uncle, Sir William Napier. He has rallied wonder- fully from the very brink of the grave, but I fear there is no prospect of his ever really recovering so far as to be free from suffering or to have any enjoy- ment of life. He is utterly crippled and reduced to skin and bone, but his head looks even grander and more eagle-like than before his illness; his voice is RELEASE OF POERIO 133 strong, he talks incessantly, and with wonderful fluency, clearness, and energy. I fear he will have much suffering yet before his death ; a sad price to pay for a strong constitution. In talking in the evening of English poets, Lyell praised Cowper more highly than I had been disposed to do, but remarked that his fame must rest chiefly on his minor poems, the large ones being very prosaic. He agreed with me in thinking that Gray's " Elegy " would last as long as the language, and said that he had found it more universally known in America than any other English composition — known to every school-boy and school-girl. Daniel Webster had it read to him the day before he died. January 8th, 1859. A very pleasant dinner party, and a large party in the evening. Lady Bell spoke of Sir William Napier as being, in 1812, when she first saw him, the most glorious specimen of human beauty she ever beheld. She first saw him at the play when she and her husband were in the same box with him, and his brother George and Ms bride, and their mother. Lady Sarah ; and it was beautiful to see the devotion of the two young men to their mother. January 11th, At the Athenaeum, read in the papers the good news of the release of Poerio and other unfortunate political prisoners at Naples from the horrible dungeons in which they have so long been tormented. It is a comfort to hear of this, though one cannot give much credit to the King of Naples for his motives. The rumours of approaching war on the Continent are gaining strength and consistency : it is evidently wished for at Turin, and thought probable at Paris ; the French funds are going down, and the Austrians are strengthening their armies in Italy. January 16th. We walked in the Zoological Gardens : looked at the Wolverene (or Glutton) a new acquisition, but he was sleepy and would not show more than his nose and forepaws ; he looks like 134 SUFFOLK— LONDON a little bear. The Fennec fox, another novelty from Egypt (Nubia ?) is a beautiful little creature to which the figures I have seen in books do no justice at all. The " clouded tiger " from Assam is another animal of remarkable beauty ; this indeed I had seen before. The elk, on the contrary, remarkably clumsy and uncouth, as ugly as a quadruped can well be, a huge creature as high as a large horse ; he is at present without horns. Afterwards I spent some time with Katharine, looking over Mosses with her. She showed me a set of specimens of Mosses given more than forty years ago by Signor Raddi to Mr. Lyell, named in Raddi's handwriting, but without localities, but they must evidently have been collected by Raddi, in Brazil, and are almost without exception identical with the species that I found in Brazil. She showed me also a large quantity of Mosses from Simla, of her own collecting, many of them fine things : so distinct both from the European and from the South American Mosses that I recognised hardly any except Hypnum proliferum. In talking of novels with Mr. Horner this evening, he told me that not only was Sir J. Mackintosh a most assiduous reader of novels, but Sir S. Romilly was so likewise, in spite of his overwhelming mass of occupations in law and politics. Mr. Horner mentioned that one day in a company where he and Romilly were both present (Romilly at the time in the height of his reputation and employment) he (Mr. Horner) and another man were discussing one of the Waverley novels — the then last new one ; they agreed that some one character in it might have been omitted or made less prominent ; Romilly, who had been talking of something quite different, suddenly turned round to them and said, " I would not omit one word." January 20th. Attended the evening meeting of the Linnean Society. 1 had a good talk with Bentham, especially on the subject of species and BENTHAM ON OAKS 135 varieties, on which no one is more qualified to give an opinion than himself. He said that he has not been able to discover any absolute test for species : that the question — What is a species? — must be determined in each individual case by a minute and careful examination of circumstantial evidence, and is often very difficult. The test of cultivation, he said, requires much caution in its application, and he believes that many of the recorded instances are fallacious. One very common source of such fallacy is, that the special plants under cultivation die, more common and hardy ones, of which the seeds were in the soU, spring up in their place, and a change is believed to have taken place. In this way, he believes, is to be explained the supposed proof of the identity of Trifolium hybridum with Trifolium repens. He is not entirely satisfied as to the identity of the Cowslip and Primrose, which is believed to have been established by cultivation. He remarked that Linnaeus had a peculiar and sure tact in discerning natural species, though he fell into some errors by beheving the influence of hybridization to extend much further than it really does. It is by no means yet a settled point whether any of the varieties found in a wUd state are to be considered as hybrids. Bentham spoke of the numerous forms of Oaks ■intermediate between Quercus pedunculata and sessiliflora, which occur in some of the hUly districts of England, he does not believe as Lindley does, that these are natural hybrids between two distinct species, but considers them as simply varieties tending to connect the two extreme forms of one variable species. These intermediate forms are rare in the plains ; Quercus pubescens, he thinks, is another variety, or race (sub-permanent variety) of Quercus Robur, confined to the Mediterranean countries. Again, the Cork tree in Bentham's opinion, is only a variety of Quercus Ilex, as indeed. Sir J. E. Smith long since suspected-— (See Ree's CyclopEedia) — and the Quercus 136 SUFFOLK— LONDON Ballota and Quercus Gramnutia are likewise forms of the same excessively variable species. The Luccombe Oak is really a hybrid between the Cork tree and Cerris, but Bentham does not believe it is ever found wild. January ^\st. Went with Fanny and Joanna to the British Museum, where we examined the Greek vases : Susan joined us, and got leave from Mr. Birch for us to see the Halicarnassian marbles, which are not yet open to the public. They are very beautiful friezes in high relief of combats of Greeks and Amazons, wonderfully fine in form and action, and two grand colossal figures supposed of (?) Mausolus and Artemisia ; the female figure has lost its head : the head of the male remains, and is evidently a portrait. January 22nd. To Clapham, to see my uncle and aunt. Found Sir William in much the same state as on the 7th : at first indeed rather languid and depressed, but he rallied as he went on talking, and latterly talked on military matters with wonderful animation and fluency. He expressed a strong opinion (which he said he had held for months) that the Emperor Napoleon wiU go to war with Austria, and join with Sardinia to drive the Austrians out of Italy. The formidable army of France will, he said, compel the Emperor to go to war, and the invasion of Italy will be attended with much less difficulty and risk, and offer much more temptation than an invasion of England. He expatiated on all the military bearings of the question with a really astonishing command of argument and force of expression. Then he went on to talk with equal fluency and energy of the new Armstrong gun, which he thinks will make a complete revolution in the methods and prospects of war: principally by its effect in naval engagements and against sea-coast towns : on land he thinks its principal eff*ect will be to render battles more distant and more indecisive. SANDHURST 137 Sir William's power of discourse (for it is not con- versation) is wonderful in any man, but especially in one who has a mortal disease, and who was so lately on the very brink of the grave. January 25t?i, 1859. At Sandhurst. In the morning I walked with William Napier about the grounds and through the College, and he shewed me in particular the Model room, where I was much interested by the large and well-executed models of fortified places, showing all the distinctive characters of Vauban's and Cormontaign's systems of fortification with the siege operations. These models are very instructive, and particularly so to me, as William was able to explain everything to me. Thus I gaiued a much clearer idea of the different parts of a fortification and of the operations of a siege — of the outworks, glacis, covered way, places d'armes, trenches, parallels, enfilading and breaching batteries, sap, etc., etc., than one ever can from descriptions or plans on paper. There is also an instructive model on a large scale of Sebastopol and the country round it, showing all the works thrown up by the besieged and by the besiegers, the English and French trenches, the ravines, the fields of battle of Inkermann, Balaklava, and the Tchernaia, and in fact every particular con- nected with the siege. WUUam pointed out to me how very irregular were the works, both of the allies and of the Russians, owing to the nature and form of the ground. January 2Qth. Emily took us in their light open carriage to BramshUl Park, Sir W. Cope's, where the hounds met. The "meet," properly speaking, was over when we arrived, but the search for the fox was begun, and as we stood on a bold narrow tongue of land commanding an extensive view, and looking across to another plateau covered with fine trees, it was pretty to see the hounds and the red-coated horsemen dipping down into the valley, reappearing among the fern on the opposite slope, and scattering 138 SUFFOLK— LONDON here and there as they ascended it to the wood. But what pleased me even more than the beautiful scenery, was meeting Kingsley, who is the rector of this parish, and to whom I had taken a great fancy when I met him at Ickworth in '57 : I am very fond of his writings. The park is beautiful with a fine variety of ground and noble old trees, especially Scotch and Silver Firs ; indeed the Scotch Firs are the grandest and most picturesque I have ever seen, and Kingsley (who has noticed them in his " Winter Garden ") says they are the finest in England. The tradition in the neighbour- hood, he tells me, is that they were introduced by James I. from Scotland, at the same time that he began building BramshUl. I walked back with Kingsley to his Parsonage at Eversley, where we had luncheon with him and his family. He pointed out to me the relative positions (topographically) of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Bagshot Sands, and of the London Clay, and the peculiar form of ground characteristic of the Bagshot Sands, — how they form far-stretching and very fiat table-lands, often very narrow and running out into long tongues and pro- montories, with steep sides. He seems thoroughly conversant with both the geology and botany of his district, and talked of them in a very interesting style. He remarked that this wild heathy country produces many plants of a sub-alpine character, and he instanced in particular I^ycopodium Selago. Lycopodium clavatum and inundatum also grow, he said, on these heaths: and together with the ordinary bog plants, the Narthecium in great profusion, but no Pinguicula. He spoke with enthusiasm and in a most interesting manner of botanical rambles on the Welsh mountains, and of the pleasure of seeing in succession as one ascends the plants characteristic of different elevations. We formed schemes of future botanical walks in company in his neighbourhood : — whether they will ever be executed, Dio sa. Kingsley EVERSLEY RECTORY 139 said that he thought himself a good judge of the weather in his own district, but at the distance of even forty or fifty miles from home he found himself completely at a loss in that respect; so local are the conditions of the weather in this country, depending on form of ground, position relatively to sea and to high grounds and many other circumstances. He told me that it has been found in Devonshire, that the Cork tree bears exposure to the sea air and westerly gales better than any other tree except the Pinaster, better than the Sycamore. Eversley rectory is small, but a pretty spot with three magnificent Scotch Firs near the house, apparently coeval with those at BramshiU. I was very glad to see Kingsley in his home, and to become acquainted with his wife. He showed me in his library a book of some interest: a copy of an old edition of St. Augustin, given to him by Carlyle, and to Carlyle by John Sterling. He spoke with great admiration of the character and writings of Robertson of Brighton. Barton, February Mh. Lady Bunbury told us that once when she was ten years old, she was taken by her aunt Lady Louisa to see an old lady of 110, a Miss Alexander ; and before they came away the old lady took her by the hand, and said, " Now remember, my dear, you will one day be glad to remember — that you have yourself seen a person who was at the siege of Derry." The siege of Derry was in 1689 ; Lady Bunbury was born in 1783 ; the old Irish lady, being a hundred years older, was therefore born in 1683, and must have been about six years old at the time of the siege. February 6th. My father talked of the time when he was quartered at Shornclifife in 1803-4, when Napoleon's invasion was expected ; when the officers used daily to look from the cliffs with their telescopes towards Boulogne, in expectation of seeing the French flotilla put to sea. He thought that owing to the 140 SUFFOLK— LONDON different rate of drifting of the vessels, the different degrees in which they would have been influenced by the tides and currents,- — the divisions of the French armament would not all have reached the same part of the coast ; some must have gone as far west as Pevensey. There was one choice division of 4,000 picked grenadiers, under Lannes, which was to have been embarked in row-boats, and would probably have come directly across to Folkestone or Sandgate ; here they would have been met by Sir J. Moore, who had about an equal number of the best troops in the British service ; and there would have been such a fight as has not often been seen. My father said that Moore's plan was to attack the enemy in the water, to charge them while in the very act of getting out of their boats. May 2,nd. Lady Bunbury told me yesterday that she had once met the famous Lady Hamilton in society in 1806 or '7, during the time of the "Talents" administration. Lady H. was then enormously fat, quite unwieldy ; her eyes magnificent for size, colour, and brilliancy, but with a very bad expression, — a hard, cruel, pitiless expression, giving the idea (Lady B. said) that the person to whom such eyes belonged would be capable of any deed of cruelty. Lady B. also told me that she knew on the authority of her friend Lord Northwick, that the active part which Lady Hamilton took in procuring the violation of the capitulation and the execution of Caracciolo, was determined by an actual bribe from the Queen of Naples, and that the money was actually paid to her on board Nelson's ship. Captain Foote, Nelson's flag-captain, remonstrated earnestly against the breach of the capitulation, till Nelson peremptorily silenced him ; and Captain Foote was never employed again. May 8th. The newspapers announce the death of Humboldt, after a short illness. It is a happy thing that such a noble, active, and honoured life, prolonged to so great an age, should thus have been terminated DEATH OF HUMBOLDT Ut without any lingering decay or loss of faculties and with little suffering. It is a great pleasure to me to remember my conversations with him in '55, when I was at Berlin ; a great satisfaction to reflect that I saw so much of him on that occasion, and especially to remember the kindness and cordiality that he showed me. The appearance and manner of the noble old man are vividly before me. Though he had lived so long, and done his work so well, and his death could not be altogether unlooked for : one can- not but feel sorrow that so bright a light of science should be extinguished. It will be long before the world sees another Humboldt. I am told that he himself said at the beginning of this year that he knew he should not live to be ninety. He would have completed his ninetieth year if he had lived to next September. To Sir Chaeles Lyell. Mildenhall, May 11th, 1859. My dear Lyell, The election and some parish botherations have rather delayed my reading of your paper on Etna ; but I have now finished it, and must con- gratulate you heartUy on having added such a splen- did wreath to your geological laurels. It is a masterpiece, and will, I think, give the death blow to Elie de Beaumont's hypotheses. In your first part, the proof of the formation of solid and stony lavas on steep slopes, in opposition to EUe de Beaumont's notions, is worked out with almost mathematical clearness and precision. I do not think I ever read anything in geology more convincing. Your descrip- tion of the eruption of 1852, and of the changes produced by it in the appearance of the Val del Bove, is remarkably interesting. In the second part, I was particularly struck by the arguments relating to the double volcanic axis. These are to me the most im- 142 SUFFOLK— LONDON portant and striking parts of the paper. I hope it will become widely known. If you have copies to spare, I think my father would like to have one, as he knew Etna so well half a century ago, and I am sure he would be interested by your description of the eruption of 1852. So that noble old man, Humboldt, is gone at last ; happy in such a speedy and easy end to so long and so glorious a life ; preserving his fine faculties to the last. " The general favourite and the general friend." I reflect with great pleasure on the conversations I had with him at Berlin, four years ago, and the genial kindness and attention that he shewed me. Your tour in Holland, short and rapid as it was, must have been interesting and pleasant, and now I suppose from your letters, you are hard at work again — indefatigable man that you are. Ever affectionately yours, Charles J. F. Bunbury. CHAPTER XXXI ITALIAN WARS May 23rd, 1859. News of the first serious en- counter between the French and Austrians ; a sharp partial engagement at Montebello,the same place from which Lannes took his title. The Austrians retreated. It was, I presume, a reconnoissance in force ; we have no satisfactory account of the Austrian loss, except that they left a colonel and two other prisoners in the hands of the French; but the fighting must have been severe, as the French lost a major-general, killed, and three colonels wounded, besides other officers. The Austrians are said to have been 15,000 strong, the force of the allies actually engaged is not stated, but a French infantry division and the Sardinian cavalry, appear to have borne the brunt of the action. May 29th. We have now some information, though not yet very clear or fuU, as to the battle of Montebello, which was evidently very severe though indecisive. The Austrian official report admits a loss of 290 killed, 718 wounded, 283 missing: total 1,291. French loss not yet officially stated. The total force of the Austrian corps engaged, is stated in their own official report at 25,000 men ; that of the French and Piedmontese is estimated by their enemies at 40,000 : while some of the French accounts make it only 5,000. These accounts are not irreconcilable; the French statement no doubt refers to the number actually under fire, the Austrian to the whole of Baraguay d'Hillier's corps which came up in support. H3 144 . ITALIAN WARS My father writes to me: — "My view of the severe action at Montebello is this. The Austrians thought that by faUing suddenly and with superior forces on Forey's division they might crush it. They succeeded partially, but they found to their disappointment, that Baraguay d'HiUier's corps d'Armde had arrived, and they then retreated, but were not pursued. The French appear to have had the worst of the fight: and their loss has probably been greater than that of their assailants. I expect to hear of a battle on a larger scale about Stradella." It appears that the Austrians lost ten officers killed, and sixteen wounded — a large proportion to their total loss. There are also accounts, but not yet from thoroughly authentic sources, of successes gained by Garibaldi over the Austrians in the country between the Lago Maggiore and Lago di Como. Dr. Pertz told us the other day that in the cam- paign of 1814, the resolution of the allies to march upon Paris, which brought the war to a decisive crisis, was entirely owing to the Emperor Alexander, instigated by the Prussian general, Gneisenau, and Baron Stein; that the Emperor of Austria wished to make peace with France, Metternich had the same wish, and Schwarzenberg was governed by Metter- nich ; Lord Castlereagh and his brother were likewise for peace, on the condition that France should have for her frontiers the Rhine and the Alps; the King of Prussia was guided entirely by the Emperor Alexander: and Alexander was influenced principally by Stein and Gneisenau. Ju7ie 2nd, 1859. News of fresh battles, and very sharp ones — this time on the Sesia, therefore I suppose towards the centre of the Alhes' line. The tele- graphic accounts are rather confusing, but as far as I can make out, the King of Sardinia, with his own corps d'Armee, crossed the Sesia a few days ago, attacked an entrenched position of the Austrians at Palestro (a place I do not find in the maps), and got BATTLE OF PALESTRO 145 possession of it, taking two guns and many prisoners. On May 31st the Austrians, 25,000 strong, en- deavoured to retake Palestro, and there seems to have been a severe action in which the Piedmontese were again victorious, taking eight guns and one thousand prisoners. These are all the particulars we have as yet, but as the advance of the King's corps seem to have been part of a general plan, we shall probably soon hear of stiU greater engage- ments. We have as yet no fuU account of the two battles of Palestro, but it is quite clear that the King of Sardinia and his Italians behaved with distinguished valour. Palestro, which is not in Arrowsmith's map, is a village a few miles south-east of Vercelli, on the road to Mortara. It would appear that the first design of the French had been to operate by the right bank of the Po, and to cross that river below the junction of the Ticino. At the time of the battle of Montebello, their principal corps were massed about Tortona and Voghera. But either finding the Austrian position too strong, or for some other reason, they countermarched, moved all their corps to the left of the Po, and have been operating by the line of Vercelli. June 15th. The campaign has been much more rapid than we had expected. The Austrians have been retreating ever since the battle of Magenta, and seem to be really falling back to the Mincio without any further resistance ; they have evacuated Pavia and Piacenza, which were understood to be very strong fortresses, have withdrawn their garrisons from Bologna and Ancona, and even from Ferrara, and seem to be concentrating all their forces in the old Venetian and Mantuan territory. It is difficult to understand this, except indeed that the incapacity pf Gyulai to cope with the French Generals has become manifest. My father writes " that Gyulai has " made a miserable mess of his campaign. Blunder II, — L 146 ITALIAN WARS "after blunder! That the Austrian soldiers have " fought well there can be no doubt." All the accounts agree that Magenta was a very obstinate and bloody battle : the village of Magenta itself is said to have been taken and retaken seven times, and probably the loss on both sides was heavier than is acknowledged. Now, as the allies have got possession so easily and speedily of that fine rich plain of Lombardy, they will be able to feed their army more easily than was at first anticipated, and I have little doubt of their ultimate success, if the war continues to be confined to Italy, although the fortresses of Mantua, Peschiera and Verona may stop them for some considerable time. June 27th. News of a tremendous battle fought on the 24th, a little to the W. of the Mincio : the Austrians again defeated. There are as yet, of course, very few particulars : but it must have been a great and terrible battle, for the whole or nearly the whole of both armies seems to have been engaged, the Austrian line of battle is said to have extended five leagues in length, and the action lasted from four a.m. to eight p.m. With such numbers engaged, and for so long a time, the slaughter must have been frightful ; indeed, the Austrian account admits that their losses were extraordinarily heavy. It appears that the Austrian army, after having retired to the E. or left bank of the Mincio, crossed again to the W. of that river on the 23rd, headed by their Emperor in person, attacked the Allies in their positions between the Mincio and the Chiese, and being defeated, re-crossed the river in retreat. Solferino, where the especial brunt of the battle appears to have been, is very near Castiglione, where the first Napoleon gained a victory in 1796. July 3rd. News that the whole French Army has crossed the Mincio, and that the Piedmontese have begun the siege of Peschiera. There are now also some fuller accounts of the battle of Solferino (on SOLFERINO 147 the 24th of June) ; — a terrible and bloody battle it was, though not to be ranked with those of Borodino or Leipsic. The French state their loss at 720 officers and 12,000 men killed or wounded; the Austrians theirs at about 10,000^ killed and wounded. A fearful carnage. July 9th. To London by the early train. In the afternoon went with Susan and Joanna to the Zoological Gardens, where a great assemblage of gay company, enjopng the shade and the beautiful weather, were listening to the band. Met Charles and Mary Lyell, Katharine and her beautiful children, the Pulskys, the Edward Romillys, Henry Mallets, Lord Enniskillen, also Agassiz, who is now on a visit to England. Saw the two hippopotami, both in the water at once; the capybara (or cabiai) a recent acquisition from South America, very quiet, tame, and stupid-looking, reminding me of Humboldt's account of it in his Travels; — two young leopard cubs, very beautiful and active little creatures. In one of the tanks in the fish-house are some living hippocampi, most singular little fishes with slender prehensile whip-like tails, which they coil round any object in their way, and with the head and neck looking hke grotesque caricatures of those of a horse in miniature. In another tank some small fresh- water tortoises, rather pretty, and very active in the water. July \lth. A brilliant and intensely hot day. To Kew with Katharine — spent some hours there very agreeably. The gardens in exceeding beauty; the velvet green turf (brilliantly green in spite of the heat), the shade of the noble trees, the lake and fountain most refreshing in such weather: the flower beds splendid. We went carefully through the principal Fern house: a magnificent collection, the plants in the finest order and condition, their beauty ^ This it now appears, relates to only one of the two Austrian armies engaged, 148 ITALIAN WARS and variety wonderful. In one house we saw the curious Lattice-leaf plant, the Ouvirandra fenestraUs, from Madagascar; the leaves of this grow entirely submerged, which I had not understood from Ellis's account. We missed Joseph Hooker in the Gardens, and had only some ten minutes' talk with him at last in his own house. Talking of trees, he said the finest trees he had seen in India, were Figs and Terminalias: excepting these, he did not think that really fine trees — single trees, were nearly as common in India as in England. July 13th. Everybody is talking of the astounding peace, the news of which came this morning. Never was anything so unexpected : never such a falling off as in this peace compared with the Emperor Napoleon's proclamation from Milan, only a month ago. It is a stunning blow to the hopes of the friends of Italy. Peace settled in a few hours' private conversation between the two Emperors, without consulting a Minister: the King of Sardinia absolutely ignored by his Imperial ally, and not even invited to be present at the conference; the Pope to be the " honorary President " of an Italian Confedera- tion ; Tuscany, Modena, and Parma to be restored to their expelled princes; — can anything be more despotic in manner, or more unsatisfactory in substance? Lombardy, it is true, as far as the Mincio, is liberated from the Austrians, but the way in which even this is done appears to me offensively despotic and dangerous as a precedent; the Emperor of Austria cedes his rights over Lom- bardy to the Emperor of the French, who transfers them to his ally of Sardinia, without the slightest allusion to any claim on the part of the people of the country to have a voice in the matter. July IMh. Dined vsdth the Charles Lyells. The party: Mr. Motley, the historian of the Dutch Repubhc, his wife and daughter, Mr, Hillard (another MR. HILLARD 149 American author of a pleasing book on Italy), Erasmus Darwin, Mr. and Mrs. Horner, and myself. Mr. Hillard talked a good deal and well. A small party in the evening : Professor Cappellini, a young naturalist from Pisa, with whom I had some talk ; he seemed zealous and well-informed on the state of science, but being one of the Liberal party, is much dejected on account of the recent news : Sir James Lacaita, Sir James Clark, Susan and Joanna, Edward and a few others. Mr. Hillard said that he found in England the highest and the lowest specimens of civilized humanity; that the most cultivated and enlightened Englishmen are superior to anything to be met with in America or elsewhere, but the lowest class in London are more rude, ignorant, and brutal than any class to be found elsewhere in the civilized world. He remarked the strildng rapidity with which the lowest and most barbarous Irish immigrants into America are assimilated with the general population, — how quickly they are im- proved by their altered circumstances and by the example of the people who surround them. Charles I^yell's attention is much engaged at present by the curious observations lately made as to the occurrence of tools or weapons of flint, shaped by man, in the gravel of the Drift period, and in caves, in company with (and in some instances even below) the remains of extinct animals. To Mes. Lyell. Mildenhall, October 31st, 1859. My dear Kathaeine, It is a long time since I have written to you, but you are well aware what a time of sad anxiety and suspense we had with my dear father's illness. You wUl have heard about us from Charles and Mary. It was a very great pleasure to me to see 150 ITALIAN WARS them, and to have some good talk with them, though my enjoyment of their company was sadly broken and interrupted. How eager Charles Lyell is about the flint hatchets, and about Darwin's forthcoming book on Species. This book is indeed sure to be very curious and important, and is likely to cause no little combustion in the scientific world, for I have no doubt that plenty of pens wiU be drawn on both sides of the question. After all, however mortifying it may be to think that our remote ancestors were jelly fishes, it wiU not make much difference practically to naturalists who deal with recent plants and animals ; for species must be distinguished and named, whether we suppose them to have been distinct from the beginning, or to have been produced by causes of variation acting through enormous periods of time. I am now hard at work naming a collection of Lepidodendrons entrusted to me for determination by the Geological Survey ; and awfully hard they are to make out. Dear Susan's company is a very great pleasure to us : she is always so agreeable and so kind in staying on with us, though we were obliged to leave her so inhospitably. I have not time to write more at present, so must say farewell, with much love to all your party. Ever your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. November 26th. To London; most kindly re- ceived by Harry and Katharine Lyell. A cheerful family party in the evening, to celebrate little Arthur's birthday. November 28th. Dined with Charles and Mary- no one else present : Charles Lyell very full of Darwin's book and quite a convert to his theory, which will make great changes necessary in the next edition of the Principles. SIR GEORGE GREY 151 December 2ndt Dinner party at Mr. Horner's: Sir George^ and Lady Grey, the William Nicholsons and Graham Moore Esmeade, besides the family. Sir George Grey (the Governor of the Cape, and formerly of New Zealand) I was very desirous to meet, having a high admiration for his character and administrative talents, besides having heard much of his agreeable qualities. He comes up to my expectations. His conversation is not only agreeable, but gives the impression of a clear and powerful intellect, and of a strong character. He spoke highly of the usefulness of the missionaries in South Africa, of the good done by them, not so much in directly converting the natives to Christianity as in civilizing them, enlightening their minds and raising their self-respect; and said, that wherever the missionaries established a footing, the arbitrary power of the chiefs declined. He mentioned that in the territory of Port Natal, where, at the time it was first occupied by the EngUsh, there were no natives — all having fled from before the Dutch Boers ; there is now a population of 120,000 natives (I think this was the number he stated) all fugitives from the tyranny of Panda and other chiefs. He spoke with just admiration of my dear old friend Sir George Napier. December 6th-8tk.—At Sandhurst, spending our time very pleasantly with the William Napiers and their lovely children. We drove over to Eversley, and had a delightful visit to the Kingsleys. I am more and more charmed with him in each successive visit. He is a truly noble man. And the extent and variety of his knowledge are astonishiag. He is not only an eloquent preacher and moralist, a poet and a novelist, but an accomplished naturaUst and anti- quarian, an eager sportsman, what is he not ? All that he says bears the stamp at once of great in- tellectual power and of a lofty and noble nature. ' Late Governor of New Zealand, etc. 152 ITALIAN WARS Unfortunately his health has suffered from too great exertion of mind, and the physicians have ordered him to write nothing for the next three years. He talked much of Darwin's new book on Species, expressing great admiration for it, but saying that it was so startling that he had not yet been able to make up its mind as to its soundness. But were it merely as the result of thirty years' labour of such a man, he observed it ought to be treated with reverence. He said that he had himself been disposed to question the permanence of species, and on the same ground to which Darwin has attached so much importance, namely the great variations produced in the domestic races, but the very startling conclusions which Darwin has deduced from this doctrine have shown him the necessity of examining very carefully all the grounds of the reasoning. He is much interested also in the question of the flint " hatchets " or " arrow heads " in the drift. I told him of the curious fact mentioned at the last G. S. Meeting, of bronze orna- ments discovered in the drift in Siberia. Kingsley remarked he had little doubt that gold had been worked in Northern and Central Asia, in very remote times, by nations probably now extinct, that Hero- dotus mentioned some of the Scythian tribes as possessing much gold, and that the very ancient myth of the Arimaspians probably related to the same facts. He told us much about the condition of Britain under the Romans, and about the Saxon conquest ; thought that one principal reason why so little of Roman buUding remains above ground in this country, was that the degenerate Romanized Britons were chiefly collected in walled towns; and the Saxons, a wild race, who hated towns and town life, took these -towns and destroyed them utterly. He doubts Pevensey being Anderida, as commonly supposed, for Anderida is described as situated in a forest, whereas Pevensey must evidently have been in those times, an island or peninsula in the sea. HEAVY SNOWSTORMS 153 The British Church, about which so much has been said, he suspects to be mythical, and doubts whether Christianity was at all generally or firmly established in Britain while it was a Roman province. To Mrs. Pertz. Mildenhall, March 9th, 1860. My dear Leonora, It has indeed been a severe and trying winter, or rather succession of winters — not over yet — for we have had heavy snowstorms within the last three days, and at this moment the ground is quite white. There are hardly any flowers out yet, except Snow- drops and Winter Aconites, and here and there a few tufts of Crocuses. I drove over to Barton the day before yesterday, and thought my father looking decidedly better than when I last saw him, in January — able also to speak apparently with greater ease, and in better spirits. Lady Bunbury, too, was, for her, pretty well. You will, no doubt, have heard that my uncle Sir William Napier died last month ; happily he died quite tranquilly and without pain, which was a great mercy, as he had suffered so terri- bly last winter. He was a man of very great powers of mind and of a lofty, noble character. Since the beginning of last year the world has lost several great writers ; but one does not, on public grounds, mourn so much for those who, like Humboldt and Hallam and Sir William Napier, had done their work and left great and complete writings, as for Prescott and Macaulay, cut off in the midst of their great and admirable undertakings. I read through Prescott 's " Philip the Second " while we were in London, and with very great delight, and sorely did I regret that he had not been permitted to finish it. I am now reading Motley's "Rise of the Dutch Republic:" very interesting too; he is a very different writer from Prescott, and less 154 ITALIAN WARS fascinating, yet he brings the events and the charac- ters of the time very forcibly before us. Reading thus in succession two different narratives of the same time, fixes the history more forcibly in one's mind, and it is interesting to compare the different views and feelings of the two writers. Though both sympathize heartily with the brave Netherlanders, and both have a hearty detestation of the cruelty, bigotry, and faithlessness of their Spanish oppres- sors, yet they have different predilections in various points. Egmont is evidently Prescott's favourite ; William of Orange is Motley's. Reading these books gives me a desire to see the towns of Holland and Belgium, and I hope we shall some day make a tour in those countries. Darwin's book has made a greater sensation than any strictly scientific book that I remember. It is wonderful how much it has been talked about by un- scientific people ; talked about, of course, by many who have not read it, and by some, I suspect, who have read without understanding it, for it is a very hard book. Certainly it is a very remarkable work, of extraordinary power and ability, and founded on a wonderful mass of careful observation. I confess that, for my own part, though I have read it with great care, I am not altogether convinced ; possibly when I shall have seen the body of evidence which he is to bring forward in his large work, I may be better satisfied : but as yet, I doubt. It is, however, a great triumph for Darwin that he has made con- verts of the greatest geologist and the greatest botanist of our time ; at last, Joseph Hooker so far adopts the Darwinian theory that he considers it not as proved, but as a hypothesis, quite as admissible as the opposite one of permanent species, and far more suggestive. I wonder what Humboldt would have thought of Darwin's book. I am now reading Hooker's " Essay on the Flora of Australia," exceedingly able and curious. There "IDYLLS OF THE KING" 155 have been some valuable books of another kind published this season. Sir Emerson Tennant's " Ceylon," which seems a most complete and careful account of that beautiful island, in all its relations, and very pleasantly written ; I have read only the natural history part, which is extremely well done. Have Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" found their way to Berlin? I like them better, on the whole, than anything else Tennyson has written, though there is no part of them perhaps as powerful as " Locksley HaU," nor any passage equal in lyrical beauty to some of the songs in the " Princess." One other book I must mention (though you will think I am writing a library catalogue rather than a letter), Kingsley's " Miscellanies : " some of the Essays are to me delightful. Indeed I delight in Kingsley's con- versation and in his writings. Within this tight little island all looks smooth and prosperous enough at present, but there is no know- ing how soon we may be caught in the hurricane of European war ; therefore in spite of Mr. Bright, I hold it very necessary to keep our powder dry. I wish most heartily that all may go well with the Italians ; but I cannot help having great fears. Pray give my love to your husband. Ever your affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To Mes. Lyell. Mildenhall, March 17th, 1860. My dear Katharine, You were beginning to read Dr; Hooker's " Essay on the Flora of AustraHa," when I was last at your house, and I daresay you have long since finished it. I have read it since we came home, and with great admiration. It is masterly, hke most of his writings ; and what an immense mass of well 158 ITALIAN WARS To Mrs. Lyell. My deak Kathakine, «-*-' ^^y 1^*^' 1«6«- I am going on steadily with the work of gradually making myself acquainted with the con- cerns of the estates which have come into my posses- sion. Here at Barton, everything seems clear and in the most perfect order. We are now placed in a position of great trust and responsibility — one in which we may have the means of doing much good, and in which much will be required of us : and I feel it will be no easy matter to keep up to the example which my father has left me. At the same time I should be very sorry to neglect intellectual improve- ment, or to let my mind be entirely absorbed by the cares of business, and I hope still to find time occa- sionally for botany and geology. I have lately resumed my reading of Motley, and have just finished the second volume. How intensely interesting is that history of the struggles of the Dutch against their oppressors. I do not know anything in history more exciting — more glorious — more sublime 1 may say, than the defence of Haarlem and Leyden. Cer- tainly there is nothing more heroic in Greek or Roman history. This place is looking beautiful, and daily more so, as daily something new bursts into leaf or flower. How I should delight to shew it all to you. But we shall probably see you in London before long, at least I hope so. With love to your husband and children, I am ever, your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. February 20th. We yesterday came up to London. February 25th. We went in the evening to the Meeting of the Geographical Society. A prodigious ►J < K Z O H GORILLA AND CHIMPANZEE 159 crowd. We got tolerable places for hearing, but not for seeing the maps and illustrations. A most curious and entertaining lecture (for so it was, rather than a paper) from an extraordinary man, a M. Du Chaillu, an Americanized Frenchman, who had lived eight years in the midst of the forests of the wildest, hottest and wettest part of Western tropical Africa. He spoke broken English, and with a very strong foreign accent, but with infinite spirit, clearness and vivacity. His description of the habits and manners of the Gorilla and Chimpanzee, and of another great ape of the same genus inhabiting that country, was exceedingly animated and entertaining. 1 hope it will all be in print, so I need not do more than put down a few hints to help my memory. The Gorilla is a most extraordinary and tremendous animal ; all that this traveller learned fuUy confirms the impres- sion given by the information that Owen had col- lected. M. Du Chaillu penetrated into the very heart of the Gorilla country, killed no less than twenty-one Gorillas, and has brought their skins and skeletons to this country. His description of the tremendous strength and fierceness of the GoriUa, of the horrible roar he utters when angry, and which can be heard three miles off: the noise (like that of a big drum) which he makes by beating his hands on his chest ; the effect of these awful sounds in the midst of those dark and gloomy forests, was amaz- ingly striking. Besides the GoriUa and Chimpanzee, there is another species of Troglodytes in those countries which this traveller has named Troglodytes calvus, and of which he gave a very curious account: especially of the ingenuity with which it twines together branches and twigs of trees into a roof or shed to shelter its family. Also of the comical cun- ning and thievish tricks of a young one of the kind which he kept tame. The Gorilla he found to be quite untameable, however young. The Secretary of the Society, Francis Galton, then 160 ITALIAN WARS spoke of the physical Geography of that part of Africa ; and afterwards Owen gave us some very in- teresting remarks, in his own admirable way, of the various resemblances and differences of the Gorilla as compared with man. Among other things he pointed out that the proportions of the chest and shoulders, and arms and all the upper parts of the body — the bones and muscles of these parts — are larger and more powerful than in any human being, considerably larger than those of the Irish Giant, whose skeleton is in the museum of the College of Surgeons ; but the legs are those of a puny dwarf in proportion ; so that the height of the animal when set upright is only about 5ft. 6in., though if it had the human proportions it would be at least 8ft. high. Again, with such astonishing physical development, the brain is not larger than that of a human infant of six months old. Went to the Museum of Practical Geology ; saw Huxley, who told me that he had examined some reptilian remains in sand stones sent home from the Damoodah or Burdwan beds of Bengal, and had ascertained them to belong to the genus Dicynodon. This is likely to be an important geological fact, as that very remarkable and characteristic reptile the Dicynodon has hitherto been found only in South Africa, in beds of which the geological age is thought to be pretty well ascertained. March Srd. Went with a family party of Horners and Lyells to the Zoological Gardens, and spent some time there. Saw the two Yaks {Bos grun- niens), rarities newly arrived here; very remarkable looking animals with their bodies clothed with a thick coat of long hair almost reaching to the ground, and their magnificent bushy white tails. Saw also that most extraordinary and monstrous looking bird the Balceniceps, or "whale-headed Crane," from the White Nile ; the appearance of its head and beak is like some wild grotesque caricature ; one can hardly CLARENCE PEAK 161 look at it without laughing. The Dodo itself could not have been more uncouth. Another curiosity is the Bateleur Eagle from South Africa,— so named by Le Vaillant — remarkable for the beauty of his colouring and his odd and seemingly affected ges- tures. Also the great Bats, called " Flying Foxes " {Pteropus, the Roussette of Buffon), of which there are now three or four, kept in a cage in one of the warmest houses ; very singular beasts, somewhat foxy in colour, but darker than the common Fox : the head not so much pointed as that of a Fox, but tending that way. Their attitudes and movements are extremely curious to watch. March Itli. Linnean Society's meeting. — First, a paper by Bentham, of remarks on various points re- lating to the MenispermacesB, Bixacese, Samydaceae, and some other tropical famiUes of plants. Next, a very interesting and curious paper by Joseph Hooker, on the Vegetation of Clarence Peak in the Island of Fernando Po. Clarence Peak is a mountain 10,000 feet high, and has been ascended by Mr. Mann : — the first moun- tain, in Western Tropical Africa, of which the sum- mit has been reached by a European. Hooker gave us a Uvely description of the difficulties of the ascent. The flora of the upper or temperate region of the mountain, though not rich in species, is very remarkable from its very close agreement, both in genera and species, with the flora of the mountains of Abyssinia at so great a distance. It also includes many European genera, and even some well-known European species, but has scarcely anything in common with the vegetation of the Cape. After this had been read, Mr. Bell gave a short explanation of M. Du ChaiUu's discoveries and views concerning the physical geography of the interior of tropical Africa, with reference to the probability of a chain of mountains or great highland, connecting the mountains of Abyssinia with those of the coast oppo- II. M 162 ITALIAN WARS site to Fernando Po. I made some remarks on the peculiarly insulated character of the Cape flora, which were confirmed by Bentham from his examination of collections from the Natal country. Hooker spoke of the strong South European element in the vege- tation of the Abyssinian highlands ; said that in the collections at Kew from that country he had found 200 European species. March 12th. We dined with Harry and Katharine Lyell ; met among others, Mr. Edgeworth, a dis- tinguished Indian botanist (brother to Miss Edge- worth), Sir Edward Ryan, Mrs. Agnew (a lady who has lived many years in India, and who obtained for Katharine that splendid set of Assam Ferns, of which I have had so liberal a share), and Huxley the great Zoologist. In the evening some very agreeable women : Mrs. Galton, Mrs. PhiUimore, Miss Moore, besides the sisterhood. March 2Mh. I spent some time in the Zoological Gardens very pleasantly with Joanna and Leonard. The day was extremely fine and mild — like summer, and the gardens appeared to great advantage. The Yaks showed themselves to great advantage to-day, and are certainly very remarkable-looking animals. The birds (my favourite class of animals) and especially the water-birds, were in a state of great animation on account of the fine spring weather. The Peacocks and many different species of beautiful Pheasants, made a glorious show. We noticed also particularly some beautiful Pigeons ; the richly coloured purple Water-hen from Egypt, the " Man- chourian " Cranes from Japan ; very stately and handsome birds; the Saras Crane from India, still more remarkable for height ; the Secretary bird and Cariama (or rather the Seriema ?) of Brazil, with its curious mixture of characters of the Waders and of the Gallinaceous birds. Leonard Lyell, who is only ten years old, has a wonderfully exact and complete knowledge of the CHARLES KINGSLEY 163 animals in these gardens, so that no one can be a better guide to them. His knowledge of natural history generally is very remarkable for his age, and the activity of his mind and his eagerness for infor- mation most striking. April l\th. These ten days, during which I have enjoyed Kingsley's society and conversation, have been very delightful to me. Every fresh opportunity of cultivating his society, adds to my regard and admiration for him ; and I flatter myself that the hking is reciprocal. I have seldom met with a finer or more cultivated mind : at once refined and vigor- ous ; though he has clear, strong, and decided opinions, he has much toleration for variety of opinion : more indeed than I should have inferred from some of his writings. But I think his mind has been much ripened and sobered since the days of " Alton Locke " and of his earlier sermons. His conversation is peculiarly rich, various, and instruc- tive in matter, with great power of expression. There is an especial charm to me in good intellectual talk, which is not dogmatical, nor excessive and overwhelming. Kingsley has a particular delight in talking of the natural sciences, and much of our conversation turned on those subjects. He indeed told me that natural history was his favourite study, and that to which he would have devoted himself by choice if he had been entirely at liberty to follow his own inclinations and had no duties to draw him in other directions. Dr. Temple's essay is very interesting, and appears to me to be written in a truly reverential and reli- gious spirit. I do not mean that I entirely go along with him ; some parts of his reasoning appear obscure, and others far-fetched and over ingenious, but it is quite incomprehensible to me what any reasonable man can find in it to offend him. May 8th. The recent news from the (no longer United) States of America has been very serious, and 164 ITALIAN WARS I cannot help now believing (which 1 did not at first) that both parties are really in earnest and mean mis- chief. For a long time the seceding states on the one hand, and the Federal Government on the other, confined themselves to wordy manifestoes and "de- monstrations," which I thought meant nothing but bluster. But at length the South struck the first blow, by bombarding and taking Fort Sumter ; and since then the President's appeal to the North to arm, an appeal which seems to have been warmly an- swered, the attack by the Virginians on the Govern- ment Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, and its destruction by the garrison ; the sanguinary tumult at Balti- more, and the destruction of the navy yard and shipping at Portsmouth, in Virginia, to prevent their falling into the enemy's hands— have followed in rapid succession. The civil war has really begun, and it is likely enough to be a savage one. The position of the President and legislation at Washing- ton — enclosed on all sides by hostile or quasi-hostile States — is a dangerous one, and there can be Uttle doubt that the first serious operations of the war will be in that quarter, as it will be the great object of the Southern States to gain possession of the Capital, and of the Northern to keep it. In a very short time probably we shall have news of severe fighting at or near Washington. May 15th. According to the recent news from America, the aspect of affairs there seems to be con- siderably changed. The Southerners have missed their opportunity ; there is now so great a force of Northern troops collected at Washington that the place is not merely considered secure, but there is a talk of their taking the initiative, and beginning operations against Virginia. Things certainly look now much more favourable to the Federal cause than they did a week or two ago. London, June 20th. Went to the Meeting of the Linnean Society, the last of the season, Bentham "ABRAHAM'S OAK" 165 in the chair. I exhibited a flowering specimen of the Indian Horse-chestnut, ^Esculus (or Pavia) Indica, which has just come into blossom at Barton, and gave some account of it. There was a fine speci- men exhibited of a very curious sponge, Hyalonema I think is the name, with a beautiful long plumelike tuft of glassy silicious filaments, like a feather of glass : it had been sent from Japan by Mr. Veitch. Huxley gave an account of it, and explained its structure, about which there has been much doubt ; he believes it to be a true sponge, and the wonder- fully glassy filaments to be an exaggeration (as it were) of the silicious spicula, common in sponges. Hooker read a capital paper on the Oaks of Syria and Asia Minor, part of the results of his last year's tour. He treated of the three most common Oaks of those countries, — Quercus pseudococcifera, Mgi- lops and infectoria, showed their great variableness, and how great a number of false species have been made out of them. Quercus pseudococcifera (first described by Desfontaines in Algeria) is the most common Oak of Syria and Palestine ; excessively variable, not only in its leaves, but in the form and size of its acorns and cups, and even in the ragged- ness of these last. It is most commonly (like Quercus coccifera) a hard scrubby bush, but sometimes a low tree, and in one instance a very large tree. " Abra- ham's Oak" in the plain of Mamre (traditionally said to be the very tree under which Abraham entertained the Angels) a tree of vast size and age, is, according to Hooker, Quercus pseudococcifera. He exhibited a sketch of it. I understood him to say that acorns from it had been brought to Kew, and young plants raised from them. Quercus iEgilops and Quercus infectoria are also common in Syria and Palestine, and very variable, even in their acorns as well as their leaves. Quercus -^gilops never a bush, but always a low or middle-sized round-headed tree, growing generally in a rather scattered manner. Mr. 166 ITALIAN WARS Ball, Bentham, and some others, discfussed the ques- tions relating to these Oaks, and afterwards Mr. Ball shewed us a great number of specimens of Quereus coccifera and pseudococcifera, from his own herb- arium, illustrating the geographical range of each and their variability. In their most typical forms they appear distinct enough, especially in general appearance, but both are very variable, and it be- comes very difficult to draw the line between some of their varieties. October 30th. We went to the Bury Athengeum to hear Dickens, who read selections out of " David Copperfield : " I was exceedingly pleased. It so happened that I had never heard him before — and certainly I never heard reading equal to it. Such clear and agreeable tones of voice ; such force and variety of expression, without anything forced, over- strained, or inclining to extravagance. In the pa- thetic and impressive scenes, the story of "Little Emily " and the death of Steerforth, he was admir- able, but in the comic portions he was superlative. The reading lasted two hours, and I was sorry when it was over. November 18th. Finished Lord Stanhope's " Life of Pitt," at least the two volumes hitherto published. The book is, as I said, very easy reading, and very pleasant reading. It has much the same general character as his " History of England," not brilliant, not profound or philosophical ; but eminently the work of a gentleman — of a man of a mild, candid, eloquent, accomplished mind. The style clear and easy, not forcible nor picturesque. I have been dis- appointed however in one material point ; I have learned from the book very little that I did not know before. Considering that Lord Stanhope through the connexion of his family with that of Pitt, must have had the use of whatever materials there were for a biography, and that one cannot suppose him to have been negligent in using them, it is surprising "LIFE OF PITT" 167 how little of Pitt's personal history this book con- tains. It gives us, indeed, many of Pitt's letters to his mother, which have a certain degree of interest, as showing the warmth and steadiness of his domestic affections; but nothing more. Otherwise this, like all the previous biographies of Pitt, is a history of his public life ; a history of Pitt the statesman, rather than of Pitt the man. I suppose this is not the fault of Lord Stanhope, but belongs to the character of his hero. I suppose that Pitt had as little of personal individual existence, separate from his political life, as it is possible for any man to have. There is scarcely any historical character about which my opinion has changed so much as about Pitt. Accustomed in my youth, of course, to look upon him as the great champion and representative of Toryism, in opposition to Fox, who was to be considered as the representative of Whiggism, I have long been coming more and more decidedly to the con- clusion that Pitt was the wiser and more enlightened statesman of the two. Lord John Russell's " Life of Fox " had settled this opinion in my mind almost as strongly as the present work of Lord Stanhope. Pitt was indeed, in some respects, in advance of his time ; especially in his commercial policy, which was truly enlightened, and worthy of a professed admirer of Adam Smith. His policy, whether domestic or foreign, after 1792, is certainly more questionable, but I think there is much to be said on both sides, and that it is by no means proved that the course recom- mended by Fox would have been safe, or even com- patible with national independence. CHAPTER XXXII PEACE OR WAR To Lady Bunbuey. Barton, December 3rd, 1861. My dear Emily, Before this disagreeable affair of the Trent happened, the Lyells had been much pleased at the news of the Northerners having taken Beaufort in South Carolina, which they consider an important advantage. Charles and Mary Lyell are still san- guine as to the final and complete success of the North, but I think there are very few besides who take the same view. Louis Mallet told me that Sir James Ferguson, who was an officer in our army, and served in the Crimea, and who has lately been in America and visited both armies, says that the Southern officers are more experienced and more soldier-like, and their men (on the whole) finer men and better drilled and disciplined than those of the North ; but the Southern army is very inferior in equipments, military stores, and in short, in material. Your very affectionate step-son, Charles J. F. Bunbury. December 7th. Edward writes to me that the general impression in London seems to be, that war in America is inevitable, " though it may not be the immediate result of the Despatches forwarded to Washington. I am told that this is the tone taken by the American Minister here, Mr. Adams, who 168 DEATH OF THE PRINCE CONSORT 169 himself is a moderate and reasonable man, and that Russell, the Times correspondent, in his private letters by the last mail, expressed the same opinion. No one believes that the Americans will give up the men (Slidel and Mason) or indeed that they could do it even if the Government and Senate were disposed to do so, for the mob would be too strong for them ; and it is certain that we shall accept nothing else." Deceviber 16tk. This day we received the sad news of the death of Prince Albert, the Prince Consort — unexpected as well as most sad. He died on Saturday night, the 14th, but the news did not reach us (at Mildenhall) tiU this Monday morning. One's first feehngs, naturally, were those of sympathy for the poor Queen, who has suffered such a terrible blow, such an irreparable loss ; but the loss is also a public and national one : a very wise, able, and good man has been taken from us ; one who occupied a post much more important in reahty than in appear- ance, and whose influence for good has probably been more felt than understood. The feeling of sorrow for his death seems to be very general and very sincere : a much deeper and more earnest sorrow than has been felt for any other royal person- age since the Princess Charlotte ; yet it is probable that what the nation has lost will be more felt and more justly estimated hereafter than at present. December 20th. Charles and Mary Lyell arrived. I learn from them that the death of the Prince was not so unexpected to those about him, as to the country at large ; that the physicians in attendance on him had augured ill of the case, and been very apprehensive all the week, and indeed almost from the beginning of the illness. He appeared, they say, to have no vital power to struggle against the attack. The poor Queen would not believe in his danger, and even caused the bulletins for the public to be modi- fied, so as not to convey a correct impression of his state. 170 PEACE OR WAR December ^\st. Thus ends 1861. God be thanked for all the many blessings which I and mine have enjoyed during the course of it : and may He help me to pass the next year better. Barton, January 1st, 1862. I received the new number of the Natural History Review, and read Joseph Hooker's article on the "Cedars of Lebanon"; — clear, instructive, and curious. He describes with great precision and clearness the locality of the famous Cedars still existing on the Lebanon. De- scribes the traces of ancient glaziers descending on the flanks of the mountains to a level of about 6,000 feet, s.m. ; shews that the Cedars grow only on the moraines of the glaciers ; points out the characters which are supposed to distinguish respectively the Cedars of Lebanon, of the Atlas, and of India ; and shews, that the Cedar of Atlas (Cedrus Atlantica) is in the most important characteristics decidedly nearer to the Deodar than to the Lebanon Cedar. Lastly, he shews how, supposing all the three to have originated from one typical stock, inhabiting a region, central with reference to all the three moun- tain groups, — changes of level and of climate (of which the aforesaid moraines are indications) might have insulated the localities, and gradually developed in the plants those differences which are now regarded as specific. This article is, I suppose, intended to be the forerunner of a larger one on the same subject. It is well worth studying. We had a visit from the Rickards^ to-day — people who I am always glad to see. Talking of Pitt, Mr. Rickards told us that in his youth he had much ac- quaintance with Wilberforce, who often talked of Pitt, and described him as a delightful companion. According to Wilberforce's account (and no man had better opportunities of knowing him), Pitt was full of gaiety, fun, and merriment in private society. * The Rev. Samuel Rickards, rector of Stowlangtoft. He used to be called the Keble of the Eastern counties. HUXLEY^S DISCOURSE Itl This is very different indeed from the idea which all the books give us of him, probably it was only in the society of his very intimate friends that he came out in this light. January 9th. Dear Katharine and her husband and children left us, to my great regret. I have always great delight in her society ; and her children are charming. This day we received the important news of the American Government having agreed to our demands, and consented to release the prisoners. War is thus averted, at least for the present. February 20th. We went up by railway to London, to LUlyman's Hotel. Attended the anni- versary meeting of the Geological Society. Mr. Horner, the out-going President, being abroad, Murchison, Vice-President, was in the chair. Ram- say was elected the new President. Murchison him- self gave us an obituary notice of Dr. Fitton, and did it very well. Then the other notices of deceased members were read by Warrington Smythe. Then Huxley gave us, in lieu of the presidential address, a most admirable and striking discourse o-n the present state and relations of palaeontology ; beginning with noticing the great advantage, in all branches of know- ledge, of taking from time to time, a general review of our progress and of the results actually gained. Applying this to palaeontology, he pointed out that, while our real advance in knowledge was very great, there was a tendency to exaggerate the actual gain, and to place too much reliance on it in certain points. He applied this particularly to the conclusions which have been drawn from palaeontology as to the origin of organic life, and as to the successive appearance of higher forms of life. He dwelt much on the in- security of negative evidence in researches of this sort, ingeniously comparing the case to that of prov- ing by negative evidence the innocence of a prisoner in a court of justice. He expatiated also on the meaning of geological synchronism, or contem- 172 PEACE OR WAR poraneity ; how vague and loose is the sense in which those terms must be understood in geology; and how cautious we should be not to confoimd geo- logical contemporaneity, as deduced by organic remains, with contemporaneity in the ordinary sense. An important and very instructive and interesting part of his discourse was devoted to showing that, great as the difFerences between the present organic world and that of any remote geological time may appear, the resemblances are much greater and more important. He mentioned numerous instances of organic types, even of genera, which had come down unchanged from the palaeozoic times to our own : and showed in detail the comparatively small (surprisingly small) amount of dilFerence, as to orders and larger groups, between the organic beings of the present day and those of all previous geological periods. On the whole, I have rarely listened to a scientific discourse more calculated to suggest thought and enquiry, to excite the faculties or to provoke con- troversy. February 22nd. Met Joseph Hooker at the Athengeum and had much talk with him. He told me of a most extraordinary new plant, of which in- formation has been received (and as I think he said specimens also) — discovered by Welwitsch in South- ern Tropical Africa, south of Benguela, and nearly at the same time by another traveller in the Dammara country : a plant more extraordinary, he says, both in appearance and in essential peculiarities of structure, than Rafflesia, or any other plant hitherto known. He told me also, that the enter- prise in which he and all the Kew establishment have had a great concern, of introducing the most valuable kinds of Cinchona, in a living state, from the Andes into British India, has been successful ; and that several hundreds of young Cinchona plants are now growing on the Neilgherries and the moun- tains of Ceylon. This appears to be an important WELWITSCHIA 173 achievement ; not only will the very large sum which India has had to pay annually for Cinchona bark be saved or reduced, but the world in general will no longer be dependent for its supplies of Quinine on the wild growth of a few limited districts in the Andes. The Dutch, indeed, had already success- fully introduced the culture of the Cinchona into Java. Hooker told me that his paper on the Cedars in the Natural History Review, was (as I had under- stood) intended as a prelude to a larger and more elaborate memoir on the subject, for which he is collecting materials. One of the oldest and largest Cedars on Lebanon has lately been blown down in a storm, and Hooker is anxious that it should be trans- ported to England and deposited at Kew. Huxley joined us, and we had a good deal of talk on various points connected with the subject of his discourse the day before. Hooker told me that he had attended a lecture at the Royal Institution, by Mr. Ferguson, the famous architect, on the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. In this, Mr. Ferguson attacked the generally received tradition as to the site of the original church of the Holy Sepulchre ; and Huxley, who has himself seen the localities, thinks that he has completely made out his case. In talking of Geological synchronism, and the wide sense in which the word " contemporaneous " must be understood, I made the remark (and the other two assented) that we, who are now living, are in a geological sense contemporaneous with the Mam- moth and the Siberian Rhinoceros, since they have been proved to have co-existed with man. March 11th, 1862. Charles LyeU tells me that he has seen the specimens which are at Kew of that won- derful plant from Africa, the Welwitschia. He says that it is as uncouth and strange in its outward appear- ance, as it is anomalous in structure. Hooker considers it more anomalous and extraordinary, more irrecon- cilable with hitherto admitted systems, than any of 174 PEACE OR WAR the extinct plants of the coal formation. As I understand the accounts, the stem, though woody, never increases in height, but keeps expanding later- ally, so as to form something like a great plate or cake of wood on the surface of the ground ; it has never more than two leaves, and these are in fact its cotyledons, which are permanent and continue in- creasing in size as the stem goes on expanding ; the flowers come out round the edges of the disc-like stem; and besides many other peculiarities, the struc- ture is gymnospervious, the ovules being entirely exposed ; yet there is nothing else in common with the gymnospermous plants before known. Lyell has also told me of a botanical discovery lately made near Boston in New England, which has excited great surprise and attention among the American botanists — the discovery of our common heather (Erica or Calluna vulgaris) growing abundantly in one spot, a short distance from the city of Boston. The entire absence of all heaths from America, has always been supposed to be one of the best estab- lished facts in botanical geography. It seems very extraordinary that such a well-known and easily recognized plant as the heather, should have escaped observation in the neighbourhood of Boston and Cambridge University ; yet it is difficult to suppose it introduced, the plant being notoriously difficult to cultivate or to introduce when it does not grow naturally. March 27th. Visited the Zoological Gardens ; looked more especially at the birds. Noticed two fine specimens of the Jungle Cock, Gallus sonneratii; handsome birds, lively and noisy ; their crow is very much harsher, more broken and irregular than that of the domestic cock ; one might call it a poor imita- tion of a genuine cock crow. In the Parrot house, six fine live Toucans, of three different species, all healthy and lively; one (from Mexico) belongs to the Ramphastos carinatus, figured by Swainson, and is LORD CANNING 175 very remarkable for the brilliant and strangely varie- gated colours of the beak, even beyond what is shown in Swainson's plate. The other two species, Ramphastos ariel,and Ramphastos toco, are Brazilian. The mode of feeding, in all of them, is pecuhar ; they take up the food with the point of their monstrous beak, and throw their head back, exactly as if they were swallowing a pill. The appearance of this enormous beak, in the living, as well as in the stuffed bird, is certainly very strange and grotesque — like a mask. Though the Toucans have the toes placed as in the Scansores, they hop, and do not climb. The birds of the Parrot family, in this house, are amazingly numerous, amazingly beautiful, and incon- ceivably noisy. We dined with the Henry LyeUs ; the party : Lady Bell, Sir Edward Ryan, the Woronzow Greigs, Erasmus Darwin, Dr. Falconer and his niece. In the evening, Mr. Maurice, and two Miss SterUngs, the Charles Mallets, and several more. Altogether, a very pleasant party. Sir Edward Ryan's very high opinion (to which I entirely subscribe) of Lord Canning ; thinks he has done more than any other man to raise the condition of the natives of India, and that he deserves honour for the firmness with which he held the balance between the natives and the Europeans during the Mutiny. April 3rd. With Henry Bruce ^ and Fanny to Little Holland House, that charming place which was so familiar to me when my dear old friend Miss Fox Uved there, now inhabited by Mr. Prinsep, a noted Oriental scholar, whose wife was a Miss Pattle, sister to the beautiful Lady Somers. We went to see the paintings of Mr. Watts, who has a studio there, and we were very much pleased. They are portraits and ideal subjects: the latter showing a fine poetical imagination and elevated taste ; the style of execution reminded us of some of the Italian ' Lord Aberdare, 176 PEACE OR WAR frescoes. Mr. Watts himself is an interesting man. I am much struck by Henry Bruce's variety of know- ledge, and the activity, clearness and vigour of his intellect. Meeting of the Linnean Society. A very remark- able paper by Charles Darvirin on that curious anomaly in Orchids (first noticed by Sir Robert Schomburgk in Demerara, and afterwards by Lindley and others) of the occurrence of flowers of supposed distinct genera on the same plant and even in the same spike. He took up Schomburgk's instance, of which the original specimens have been preserved in the Linnean Society, where flowers of so-called Catasetum tridentatum, Monachanthus viridis and Myanthus barbatus occur together. Schomburgk suspected that the differences were sexual ; Darwin, by a most minute, elaborate and sagacious examina- tion, proves that this is the case — that the Catasetum is the male flower, the Monachanthus the female, and the Myanthus the hermaphrodite. These usually occurring on separate plants, had very naturally (as they are extremely unlike) been taken for dis- tinct species and even genera : but now and then flowers of two and even three kinds are produced on the same plant. This is, I believe, the first ascer- tained instance of separated sexes in Orchids ; it is very possible that in other instances also, different sexes of the same plant may have been taken for different species. Darwin gave us part of his paper viva voce, — a beautiful exposition of the curious and complicated structure of the sexual apparatus of Catasetum. Joseph Hooker gave him due honour in the few remarks which he made upon the paper, and observed at the same time that the whole subject of Orchidacese had for a long time past been in a manner given up by the professed botanists to two men. Brown and Lindley. The discussion which followed was for the most beside the matter of the paper, going off" into the question of vegetable irritability, A GREAT EXAMPLE 177 of which there are some remarkable examples in Orchidaceae. To Mes. Lyell. Barton, May 26th, 1862. My dear Katharine, I must write you a few lines to express, how- ever imperfectly, my sincere sympathy with you in the great grief which has fallen upon you aU, as well as my own sorrow for the loss we have all alike sustained. I did indeed love dear Mrs. Homer very much, and good reason I had, for nothing could possibly surpass her constant kindness and indul- gence to me ; she could hardly have shown me more affection if I had been her own son. It is a great comfort, and I think after a time you and Fanny and all of you will feel it to be a comfort, to reflect how bright and happy her hfe was ; how prosperous and how blessed with that disposition (so far above all worldly gifts) which Addison so beauti- fully speaks of, that "cheerful heart which tastes those gifts with joy." How happy she was in her family ! and how she preserved not merely her faculties, but the full zest of hfe and capacity of enjoyment, to a mature old age, and almost to the very brink of the grave. Truly 1 hardly see how any mortal could have a happier lot than that which the goodness of God granted to your dear mother. And we must trust to that goodness to soothe and heal the sorrowing hearts of her children, and still more of dear Mr. Homer. His loss is by far the heaviest, and for him I feel the most ; I am very anxious to hear how his health bears this terrible blow. Your beautiful and interesting children, and the attention they require will be your best consolation, dear Katharine. It would be a great pleasure to us to see you here, but I can well understand that II, — N 178 PEACE OR WAR at such a time you would rather not leave your home. With much love to your husband and children, I am ever your truly affectionate, C. J, F. BUNBURY. To the same. Barton, October 11th, 1862. My dear Katharine, If you look into the Athenceum (the news- paper I mean, not the Club) you will find a very dismal account of the British Association Meeting at Cambridge. To me it was a very pleasant meeting, rendered especially so by the Kingsleys and Sedg- wick, though several were missing of those whom I remember playing a distinguished part at the few former meetings of the kind which I had attended, some staying away, as your father, Charles Lyell and Murchison, some gone to a better world, as poor Edward Forbes and Henslow. Dear old Sedgwick was in prodigious force, looking remarkably well : I have not known him more in his glory for many years than he was this time, — and indeed also when he was with us here in the spring. His cordiality and kindness to us were most marked. He spoke beautifully at the great dinner which was given in the hall of Trinity on the Friday, and with great spirit, more than once in the Sections. Indeed, for a man of seventy-seven, his speaking appeared to me wonderful. It was a great pleasure to me to meet the Kingsleys again. Ever your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. [In the middle of February, 1868, Sir Charles Bun- bury and his wife went to London, to furnish the house, 48, Eaton Place, of which they had bought a long lease.] TRANSYLVANIA 179 To HIS Beother. Barton, October 15th, 1863. My dear Edward, I was much interested by your account of Transylvania in your letter to me of September 16th, and since then I have seen your letter to Henry, from Belgrade, by which I find that you were intend- ing to penetrate into still less known countries. I daresay Servia is a civilized country enough in its way ; but I must confess, for myself, that I have much less distinct ideas concerning it than I have concern- ing most parts of South America, or the South Sea Islands. I shall therefore be very glad indeed to read your observations upon it. I must say there is a great pleasure in getting away now and then from our excessive civilization, from railways and hedge- rows, and turnips and turnpikes, and countries of which every inch is private property ; and, as I cannot in the body visit wild countries, I like to do so in the spirit. Here, since I last wrote to you, we have led in one sense quiet, and in another, — busy lives ; for we have not stirred from home since our return from Norwich ; but have had our house almost constantly fuU, and we have had some very pleasant visitors. Sarah Hervey came to stay some days with us, and as she wanted to paint some large illustra- tions for a lecture which her father was going to give at Bury, Susan undertook to instruct and help her. The " bathroom " was turned into a painting-room, and these two ladies painted away for several days with such zeal and perseverance that they would hardly allow themselves time to take a breath of air. The consequence was, that a number of capital illus- trations for the lecture were finished in an incredibly short time. On Thursday, we had a dance in the dining-room, which was very pleasant, and was kept up with great animation till two in the morning ; and on Friday, we went a party of sixteen to the Bury 180 PEACE OR WAR ball. Altogether, our party turned out very pleasant. The earthquake of which you will see accounts in the newspapers, and which shook and alarmed all the Western and Midland counties, does not seem to have been felt at all in this part of England. Ever your affectionate brother, Charles J. F, Bunbury. CHAPTER XXXIII ANTIQUITY OF MAN To Sir Charles Lyeli,. Barton, November 5th, 1863. My dear Lyell, The book — your book — arrived quite safe, and I am very glad that my marginal notes were of some use to you. I am particularly glad to hear of the expedition of Naturalists to Palestine ; it seems strange, consider- ing what numbers of English travellers visit that country, that so little should be known of its Natural History, and that there should not be in the British Museum a single specimen of an animal of any class from the Holy Land. It seems strange, but no doubt it is easUy explained, as all travellers who go to that country have their minds and thoughts so full of other subjects. But I hope Mr. Tristram and his party will dissipate our darkness in respect of Natural History. About a week ago Scott brought me some leaves of a Fern, which he had found growing on the brick- work lining of an old well, very near here ; it proved to be the Cystopteris fragilis, a Fern which I had never before seen in Suffolk ; and, which, I believe, is generally rare in the plains of England. No doubt its spores, carried along by the winds from Derby- shire or Wales, had found a suitable station in the damp, dark interior of this old well, and had ger- minated, while thousands of like spores may have 181 182 ANTIQUITY OF MAN fallen on unfavourable ground, and perished. It is a case, less remarkable certainly, but analogous to the occurrence of Lycopodium cernuum, by the hot- springs in the Azores, and of Pteris longifolia in Ischia. We have nearly settled to go up to town next Monday week, though I leave home with great unwillingness. Much love to Mary, Ever yours very affectionately, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Charles Lyell. " Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man." This is a great and admirable work. To my thinking, by far the best thing he has written since the original "Principles of Geology."^ And there is a vigour and animation, a freshness and clearness, which remind me of the " Principles," and recall to mind the delight with which I first read that classical book. This also, though perhaps in a somewhat lesser degree, may be ranked with the former, among the works which constitute permanent landmarks in the history of a science. Lyell begins by giving a very clear summary of all the evidence relating to the ancient races of Man, that has been afforded by the remains of the " Lake dwellings" of Switzerland, and by the "Refuse heaps" and peat bogs of Denmark. He next de- scribes the human remains found in caves, in situa- tions showing their great antiquity, and often in company with the bones of extinct mammals in various localities in France and Germany ; some of these caves were known to geologists at least five- and-twenty years ago, but were looked upon with much suspicion (see the 5th edition of his "Prin- ciples "). He enters into full anatomical details (on the authority of Huxley) respecting some of these human skulls found in caverns in Germany. Then ^ Published in 1831. GLACIAL PERIOD 183 he proceeds to treat of the celebrated " flint knives " and "flint hatchets," found in the gravels of the valley of the Somme, and of some parts of England ; and dwells upon them at considerable length, show- ing the evidences of antiquities afforded by the geological position in which they occur. He hardly seems to think it necessary to prove that these imple- ments are of human workmanship ; and indeed I suppose there are now not many who would dispute this point. So much then appears to be proved beyond a doubt — that the human race co-existed in these parts of the earth with numerous large mammifers, which are not only now extinct, but appear to have become so before the strictly historical period ; as well as with others which still exist. And from the levels, the drainage, and other points in the physical geography of the districts, it is argued that we must carry back the dates of these remains to an antiquity far exceeding what has been usually assigned to man. So far, Lyell deals strictly with his professed subject, " the Antiquity of Man ; " next he proceeds to show, by an exposition of all that is known concerning the Glacial Period, how vast a length of time must be aUowed to that period ; and consequently, how enor- mously great must be the antiquity (according to our ordinary measures of time) of those numerous species of animals and plants which existed before the Age of Ice, and are still existing. These chapters on the Glacial phaenomena, though extremely well done, are much more difficult than the earlier ones. They are written with so much conciseness that they re- quire very close attention, involving as they do, a highly complicated and perplexing series of facts. There are few things in geology, I think, more astonishing than the succession of enormous move- ments and changes, of which the history fairly deduced by scientific reasoning from the observed facts, is expounded by Lyell in these chapters. It 184 ANTIQUITY OF MAN strains one's imagination to conceive the length of time that must have been required for so many and so great changes of level, upward and downward, (all probably taking place very gradually), and such changes of climate as are shown to have taken place during the course of the Glacial Age. And yet, not only are very many of the now-existing species of Mollusca found in the beds which must have been deposited before the Glacial Age, but there seems to be clear evidence that the Scotch Fir also, and several of our common North European plants, were of pre- glacial antiquity. The account of the " forest bed " in the Norfolk cliffs is especially curious in this respect. The third part of Lyell's book, including the last five chapters, is devoted to an examination of the great question of Species, and of the Lamarckian and Darwinian theory of variation. This is a subject on which, as had long been well known to his friends, Lyell had entirely changed his opinion since the days when he treated of it in his " Principles " ; and there- fore he felt himself bound to go fully into it, although it is perhaps not very directly connected with the primary subject of this present work. He has now, most frankly and fairly avowed his change of opinion, and gives, in chapter xxi. of this book, a clear summary of Darwin's theory, and of the main argu- ments on which it rests. He does not indeed look on it as proved, and therefore does not express him- self on it with the same positive confidence as Darwin, Huxley and some others ; but it is very clear which way he leans. The chapter in which he compares the development and genealogy of species with the development and genealogy of human languages, is remarkably ingenious and striking. In the last chapter, Lyell discusses the great and much-vexed question of the degree of affinity of Man, with the other Mammaha, with the Apes in particular, and how far it is probable or otherwise MAN'S PLACE IN NATURE 185 that the human species was formed by the "law of development or variation " out of some of these in- ferior animals. In so far as relates to the affinities of bodily structure, and especially to the characters of the brain and of the foot, Lyell here follows Huxley implicitly, and sides altogether with him against Owen. The summary that he gives of the famous "hippocampus" controversy, is known to have excited Owen to great wrath. The latter part of this chapter is written in an excellent spirit, full of reverence and of a truly religious spirit. Huxley. " Man's place in Nature." This small book, which was published immediately after Lyell's, may be considered in some degree as a sequel to it ; for it treats essentially of the same subject to which the last chapter of " The Antiquity of Man " is devoted. Huxley here gives, in a very clear and lively style, an exposition of his views concerning the close affinity of Man to the Apes, and of his favourite doctrine of Variation and Development. The first part of his book, in which he gives an account of the structure and characters of the " anthropoid " Apes, and a summary of all that is known of their habits and manners, is extremely well done. He seems also to be success- ful (supposing him correct as to his facts) in showing that the structural differences between Man and these "higher" Apes, (the Gorilla in particular) are less than between the Gorilla and some of the lower forms of Monkeys. He evidently believes that there is a graduated scale of intellectual and moral powers as well as of physical structure, connecting Man with the Monkeys ; and that the differences are rather in degree than in kind. J. D. Hooker. "On the Genus Welwitschia." Linnean Transactions. Vol. XXIV. A very remarkable paper : a most careful and elaborate description, beautifully illustrated, of the 186 ANTIQUITY OF MAN whole structure and characters, external and ana- tomical, of that marvellously strange plant from South- Western Africa, the Welwitschi. It is one of the most masterly even of Joseph Hooker's works. The plant itself (of which since reading this paper I have seen the specimens at Kew) may safely be said to be the most uncouth and shapeless, and (in general appearance at least) the least beautiful of all flowering plants as yet discovered. Its affinity is here clearly shown to be with the Gnetaceae ; a small family, of which the only two genera previously known, Gnetum and Ephreda, are themselves so dissimilar, and in many respects so peculiar and exceptional, that one is led to view them as the last remnants of a family that is disappearing. [In the end of January, the Charles Bunburys went up to London to 48, Eaton Place, on account of the illness of Mr. Horner, who after lingering a month, died on March 5th.] Extract from a letter of Sir C. J. F. B. to Madame Byne. March 16th, 1864. I shall always feel it a privilege to have been so long and so intimately connected with so excellent and wise a man as Mr. Horner. I shall always feel that I am, or ought to be, the wiser and the better from having known him so intimately, and the recollection of his kindness, and of the affectionate regard that he showed towards me will always be deeply gratifying. And when the first natural im- pulse of grief is alleviated by time, I think his children, and you his sisters also, will feel comfort in reflections on his long, honourable, useful and happy life. I have never myself known a better man, nor one of more universal and unfailing indefatigable kindness. His active benevolence never cooled in the least — the warmth of his domestic attachments. DEATH OF MR. HORNER 187 nor did his strong afFection for his family and friends check his enUghtened ardour for the general good of mankind. Extract from a letter of Mr. Poulet Scrope^ to Sir Charles Lyell. Let me begin by condoling with you on the loss you have sustained in common with a large circle of friends and admirers. So admirable a person in mind, manners and acquirements, it will be long before we see again. The Mitis Sapientia Lcelii was never before better illustrated, and it was delightful to see so thorough a disgust for bigotry, in every shape, in ReUgion, Science, and Philosophy, coupled with such expansive charity and benevolence. A more charming character it never fell to my lot to associate with. To Mrs. Lyell. Barton, February 5th, 1865. My dear Katharine, I thank you very heartily for your kind and pleasant letter which I received yesterday, and for your good wishes on the occasion of my birthday. The " flying years " (as Horace says) are indeed slipping away ; but I do not feel inclined, like him, to repine at their flight ; I have every reason to feel thankfulness for the past and present, and humble hope and trust for the future ; and it would be un- grateful indeed to be dissatisfied because one may not have the advantages of youth combined with those of mature age. It does not require " birthday presents" to assure me of your kind feeling and thought of me : but I thank you for the little chain, which will be very convenient, and would serve to remind me of you, if that were necessary. Pray ' Mr. Poulet Scrope was a distinguished geologist and brother of Mr. Poulet Thompson (Lord Sydenham), Governor of Canada in 1839 (?). 188 ANTIQUITY OF MAN thank darling Rosamond for her sweet letter to me ; say that 1 like it very much, and that I will write to her as soon as I have time. Our gaieties last week went off very well ; the Arthur Herveys and the Abrahams are always very agreeable, and Lady CuUum always both amusing and genial, and full of kindliness. I agree with you that giving and receiv- ing hospitality is a very great pleasure, but I find it terribly destructive to anything like study. Nothing can be more true than what you say of Fanny — that she is always thinking of making others happy, and labouring to do it. She is like her dear father and mother in this. Her picture has been very much admired by our guests. Pray thank dear Mary for me, for her kind letter, which I will answer soon. With much love to your husband and the dear children, I am ever your very affectionate brother, C. J. F. BUNBURY. To Miss Joanna Horner. Barton, February 9th, 1865. My dear Joanna, I was actually thinking of writing to you when I received your kind and very pleasant letter, for which I thank you heartily. I am very glad that you have a young botanical friend, and hope you will pursue the study with him. Knowing some- thing of Italy, 1 can believe it possible that there may be as many wild plants in flower as he says, though it is difficult to realize it when we are in the midst of frost and snow. Yes, the ground this morning was quite white with snow. Not that we are quite without signs of approaching spring. The yellow Aconites are in bloom, and the Snowdrops beginning to peep and the leaves of the white Saxi- frage coming up, but still we are very wintry. It is LYELL'S "ELEMENTS" 189 in April and May that Italy is a real paradise of flowers, and then 1 daresay you will feel yourself im- pelled to study botany : the more as you will have a real live professor at hand to refer to in case of difficulty. I have received a copy of the new edition of LyeU's " Elements," and have read through the chapters on the Recent, post-Pliocene and Tertiary periods which contain the greatest amount of novelty. They are extremely well done, especially that on the Miocene Flora. I am now in the 5th volume of Merivale in the reign of Tiberius. I think he makes out with great skill the character of that Emperor — not a monster, but a man of a narrow mind and a morose, gloomy temper with a great tendency to morbid melancholy and suspicion ; distrusting himself and suspecting every one else ; the circumstances of his position fostered his faults into crime. But the interest of the history goes off very much indeed after the time of Augustus. Now that we are alone, I am reading to Fanny in the evenings some of Lord Campbell's " Lives of the Chancellors," which are very entertaining : we have had a great deal of pleasant society since I wrote to Susan. We spent a dehghtful week in Norfolk in the middle of January : first four days with the Boileaus, whom I liked even more than when they were here in 1863. We are stUl going on whenever we are alone with the Catalogue of books, and have been engaged this week in the dark passage, which had been made the receptacle of a great many stray books from other parts of the house. Our new Fern house seems to answer well, and the plants in it look in good health. With much love to dear Susan, I am ever, Your very affectionate brother, ChABLES J. F. BUNBURY. 190 ANTIQUITY OF MAN To SiE Charles Lyell. Barton, February 26th, 1865. My dear Lyell, You are quite right about the Sago, and yet Heer is not wrong. Sago is yielded by plants of two different families. Palms and Cycads. That which is of the finest quality, it is said, is prepared from the interior of the stems of certain Malayan Palms, chiefly of the genus Sagus. But Sago is prepared also to a great extent in Japan and China from the pith of Cycas revoluta, and in the Moluccas from that of Cycas circinalis. Nevertheless, it seems rather inconvenient and confusing to give the name of Sago trees as equivalent to the Cycadese, as it would belong more strictly to the Palms of the genus Sagus. Much love to dear Mary. Ever your very affectionate friend, Charles J. F. Bunbury. To the same. Barton, March 2nd, 1865. My dear Lyell, I have read with care and with great admira- tion your chapters on the Recent, post- Pliocene and Tertiary periods. I admire especially the way in which you have contrived to pack into so small a space a clear summary of the various evidences of the antiquity of man. The theory of the formation of lake-basins by ice is a very difficult question, and I daresay it could not have been treated more clearly in so narrow a space than you could have done it ; but I must own I find it very hard to understand. I must try again. The whole subject of the Tertiary Flora, I think excellently well-treated. I most especially and cordially approve of the observations on the " Alleged difference in the degree of affinity of the Miocene plants and shells to the living creation." The truth is there is much more vague- ON TERTIARY FLORA 191 ness and uncertainty about such comparisons than many geologists are willing to allow, and this is mainly owing to the want of any common measure (as arithmeticians would say) — the want of anything like a fixed standard or principle of specific dis- crimination. I was delighted with another passage in which you have touched on the same subject — on the vacillating and arbitrary opinions of palseonto- logists as to species — I mean at page 214. But then it does appear to me that in other parts of your tertiary system you have relied with (what seems) excessive cohfidence on these same fine-drawn dis- tinctions of species. I believe the majority of con- chologists and geologists would go along with you here, so I daresay I am wrong. I have also read with great interest, your account of the Aix la Chapelle plant bed in the cretaceous system ; and that of the Rhsetic or St. Cassian beds. Only 1 think it would be well to give a little geographical informa- tion as to whereabouts St. Cassian and Hallstadt are. I showed your new edition to Kingsley, who had not seen it before, and was much delighted with it. It is very pleasant to see the flower-beds before our windows, gay with the Crimean Snowdrops, with Crocuses of three kinds, a beautiful blue Squill and Hepaticas. With much love to Mary, I am ever your affectionate friend, Charles J. F. Bunbury. To Miss Joanna Hoenee. ,, T Barton, March 16th, 1865. My dear Joanna, Our last company, from the 20th to the 25th of February was uncommonly agreeable,^ — the Kings- leys, Sir Edmund and Lady Head, whom I knew but very slightly before this, but whom we found very agreeable. Then there were the Arthur Herveys, Lady Cullum, General Angerstein, Mr. Abraham, 192 ANTIQUITY OF MAN and young John Strutt, the Senior Wrangler of the year, whom we Uke very much. All, young and old, appeared to the best advantage, and seemed to suit one another particularly well, so that I hope they as well as we found it pleasant. The only drawback was that the Kingsleys could stay so short a time, and in particular that Kingsley himself was obliged to take the greater part of one day, even out of that short time, for his lecture at Cambridge. Since then, we have been very quiet and happy by our- selves. Now for books : 1 have lately read (rather skippingly) about half of Lord Derby's translation of the " Iliad " ; and I must say I think his persever- ance wonderful ; that he should have had pleasure in translating many of the finer portions, I can easily understand ; but that he should have laboured steadily through all the lists of killed and wounded — through all the anatomical descriptions of wounds, does show marvellous perseverance, as it can only have been the relaxation of his leisure ; it is exceed- ingly close to the original, and has, I think, a great deal of poetical spirit ; many of the similes are very finely rendered, and I must confess I find it a httle tedious on the whole ; but in that respect, it does not differ from any other Epic that I have ever read, T remember indeed that I read through Pope's Homer with great delight when I was a boy, but I doubt whether I could do so now. I rather think you did not see our bird table before you left England ; it was in operation in the summer. All this winter it has been much in vogue, and I think we shall be able to boast of having the best-fed Sparrows in the country. But besides Sparrows, we have four kinds of Titmouse, most amusing little creatures ; also Blackbirds, Redbreasts, Chaffinches, and Nut-hatches. With much love to dear Susan, beheve me ever, dear Joanna, Your very affectionate brother, Charles J, F. Bunbury. CHAPTER XXXIV KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS London, April 20th, 1865. We dined with the Charles Lyells. Met Sir Roderick Murchison, Mr. Donne, John Moore, and others. Mr. Donne said he had met Mr. Vambery (the Central Asiatic Traveller) at Lord Houghton's, when he was in England. He (Vambery) said, one of the greatest difficulties he had in keeping up his disguise all the time he was in those countries — in keeping up the character of a Turkish Dervish or holy man — was that of maintain- ing the appearance of perfect apathy and composure under aU circumstances. Besides the danger which was peculiar to himself, and owing to his disguise, he was exposed in common with his Mussulman fellow-traveUers to many and various changes ; and to have any chance of passing for a holy man, it was absolutely necessary that he should appear utterly apathetic ; — avoiding all appearance, not only of fear, but of the excitement which danger usually produces in any European. Murchison spoke of the Wahabees, those most fanatical of all Mussulmen, who now have entire possession of the central parts of Arabia ; and of Mr. Palgrave's extraordinary travels among them. He says, "the one deadly, unpardonable sin in the estimation of the Wahabees, is smoking tobacco. Murder, violation, are trifles ; but if you are caught smoking, there is no hope of mercy for you ; — off with your head I" Certainly, as I remarked, they could not have found the prohibition of tobacco in II. — O 193 194 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS the Koran, but it seems these ultra-orthodox Mussul- men take the hberty of adding to the articles of their religion. Moore suggested that this is a liberty not quite unknown in European churches. Wednesday, May Slst. Professor Schimper of Strasburg, the great bryologist, breakfasted with us. His conversation extremely good. He is about to make a tour through Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with a view both to the study of Mosses and the observation of glacial geology. He is engaged on a grand comparative work on " The genera of Fossil Plants," similiar in design, seemingly, to what I once began. Friday, August Mh. The Maurices and the Abrahams came to stay with us. The Arthur Herveys dined with us. Mr. and Mrs. Bentham arrived here. I walked round the arboretum and garden with Mr. Bentham. Lady Cullum dined with us. August 6th. Showed some of my collections to Mr. and Mrs. Bentham. These two days 1 had the advantage of much conversation with Mr. Bentham. He is a man of much and various information, and has travelled extensively in almost every country of Europe. Friday, August lltk The Maurices went away after luncheon. For a week past I have had the advantage of conversation with Mr. Maurice, who has been staying with us: and I am sorry that I have not much that I can distinctly record. But in truth, the impression which his conversation leaves on my mind is rather a general impression of pervading wisdom and goodness, than anything specially and distinctly to be remembered. His talk is not fluent nor strikingly brilliant, but one feels somehow the better for it. Monday, August IMh. A terribly wet and stormy morning, very fine afterwards. The Bishop of London and Mrs. Tait arrived, having come by CHARLES KINGSLEY 195 the Sudbury line. We walked about the grounds with them; afterwards arrived Mr. Tyrell and the Abrahams. The Arthur Herveys dined with us. Monday, September 18th. In the last nine days I have enjoyed much delightful conversation with Charles Kingsley. I should have enjoyed his society as much as ever, had I not been very uneasy about his health. He is indeed evidently in a very uncom- fortable state of health, though I trust not in an incurable one. But his mind is clear and vigorous, and his conversation, if not quite as animated, as rich and various and instructive as ever. His interest in botany and natural history generally continues to be eager. I have noted down in another book some of his remarks on these subjects. He is very favourably disposed towards Darwin's speculations, without plunging into them with the headlong zeal of Huxley and Lubbock. In reference to art, I observe in him still more strongly (I think than before) a distaste to Gothic architecture, and the art of the middle ages, connected with a general dislike to the mediaeval institutions and modes of thought. While we were amidst the ruins of the Abbey at Bury he said that he was glad to see the ruins of the buildings which had been raised through cheating and plundering. He would not allow that the Monastic orders had been a protection to the poor against the tyranny of mere force, nor even that the Church in the middle ages had been the best form of Chris- tianity which the then state of mankind admitted. He rather seemed inclined to hold (with Michelet) that the Church at those times had conspired with the nobles against the poor. Perhaps he may even yet have a tendency to be too extreme and un- qualified in his conclusions, — though much less than in his " Alton Locke " days. He has a bad opinion of the Welsh, as a people, and not much better of the Irish. The Cornish, he says, are in their physical characteristics a quite distinct and peculiar 196 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS people, and he does not believe that they are identical with the Welsh. In the course of an interesting talk about Cornish superstitions, he said he believed that the superstition about spectral or dcemoniacal hounds (which are called Wisht Hounds in Cornwall and Devonshire) originated in the strange sounds made by wild fowl in winter nights. The cry of flights of wild fowl, and especially of wild swans, he says, is strangely like the cry of hounds, and in a wild wintry night might easily suggest the idea of a spectral chase. Then, in each county, this primary idea becomes mixed up with the idea of the punishment of some personage who is a special object of popular hatred, Kingsley admires Moore's poetry : — spoke enthu- siastically of the merit of his versification — the music of his poetry, praised particularly the exquisite rhythm of my favourite — " Silent, oh Moyle, be the roar of thy waters." He contended, that authors in general are, in their real characters and everyday life, very different from what we should infer from their writings. I brought forward Moore as an instance to the contrary. " But then," said Kingsley, " con- sider Moore was an Irishman, and therefore comes under no rule." He holds that mixed races of man- kind are the best : that all races are improved by mixture. He highly admires William Pitt (the second) as I do too. He agreed with me that the generation of Pitt and Fox and their contemporaries, and the next generation also, the men who grappled with the French Revolution and with Napoleon, were eminently great : — seemed generations of giants. Kingsley said that the Prince and Princess of Wales, in their house at Sandringham, are most kind and pleasant hosts, very attentive to the com- fort of their guests, and very simple and natural in their manners. The Princess charming. The Prince thoroughly amiable. Kingsley thinks that Thackeray, in his lectures, has been too hard upon LECKY'S "RATIONALISM" 197 the first three Georges : I confess I doubt. Kingsley said : I wish I could beUeve in the regeneration of a nation, — but I see no example of it in history. To Miss Hornek. Barton, October 5th, 1865. My deak Susan, Very many thanks for your letter from Via- reggio, which has given me very great pleasure. I am truly glad that you have had so much satisfac- tion in reading Lecky's book, and I have been very much interested by your remarks on it. I quite agree with you in your general high appreciation of the book, and especially in what you say of "his reverential spirit, modesty and candour." Indeed, it is a book that gives me a remarkably agreeable im- pression of the author, as well as a very high esti- mate of his powers. Few, I think, could have written on the subjects which he has treated, with so much fairness and candour, so little of a sectarian spirit, and so much readiness to see the good points even of those whom he is obliged most strongly to con- demn. It is uncommonly free from that " supersti- tion in avoiding superstition " (as Bacon expresses it) which one often sees so strongly exemplified in those who call themselves great " Liberals." Lecky's work evidently belongs to the same school of thought as Buckle's, but it appears to me a better book, as well as a much more pleasing one, yet it seems to have made much less sensation ; perhaps for the very reason that it is less arrogantly dogmatical, and does not attack received opinions with so much audacity. I am charmed like you with what he says of the eiFects of the homage paid to the Virgin Mary ; this, I copied into my extract book ; and I was much struck also by his remarks (especially at p. 184, Vol. 1.) on the decay of dogmatic and the increase of practical Christianity. I found that Kingsley had 198 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS not yet read Lecky's book, which I strongly recom- mended to him, but he had come to the same con- clusion as to the origin of religious persecution, that it springs naturally and logically out of the intense belief in exclusive salvation. Still I cannot think that it is in general so free from selfish motives as this would imply. 1 think there is much of pride and self-will in religious persecution. A persecutes B not simply because he thinks his opinions erron- eous and wicked, but because B is stiff in opposing his favourite opinions. I heartily wish you could have been with us during last month, which was one of the pleasantest I can remember to have passed. It was delightful having the Kingsleys with us so long and in such a quiet way ; and dear I.,ady George Napier too, who is so charming ; and the Bowyers ; besides Henry and Cissy and their children, who left us in the middle of the month. And after all these were gone, our three days' trip with the Arthur Herveys to Ely, Peter- borough and Crowland was extremely agreeable. I like the Kingsleys, all three of them — more than ever ; I feel a real affection for them. We have now been nearly a fortnight alone, and the time has not hung heavy on hand. But somehow or other I have done much less in this quiet time than I expected to have done, and ought to have done, I am ever your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Thursday, February 1st. Finished Carlyle's " French Revolution." An exceedingly striking and impressive book. To my thinking it is much the most powerful of Carlyle's works, the one in which all his peculiar characteristics are developed in the most effective and advantageous manner. The style has all his peculiarities ; sometimes offensive, some- times grotesque ; but it has the great merits of CARLYLE'S "FRENCH REVOLUTION" 199 giving us a most vivid idea of the people and the times, and of stamping indehbly upon our memory the impressions which he intended. One can hardly forget any of the scenes described in this book ; as for the moral tone of the book, it is by no means what I admire. That adoration of strength and energy, no matter how applied, and that tendency to worship success which had grown to such an offen- sive height in his later writings, are already apparent here, though not in the same excess. There is a stern, cold, pitiless philosophy, in his manner of speaking of the Terrorists, and their victims, which shock one's feelings ; and the grim, sarcastic, lurking humour, which is a remarkable characteristic of the book, has now and then a painful effect. But there is no attempt to disguise or palliate the atrocities of the time. I do not know any history in which they are more impressively related. To Sir Charles Lyell. Barton, February 3rd, 1866. My dear Lyell, I thank you much for sending me Madame Agassiz's letter to Mary, which I have read with much curiosity and interest. The variety of new fish and other novelties which Agassiz has discovered are not half so astonishing to me as the rapid growth of that country. How completely Brazil seems to be revolutionized by the one single agency of steam. Madame Agassiz speaks of the voyage from Para to the Barra de Rio Negro taking five days ; when the botanist Spruce explored that country, no longer ago than 1850, the voyage from Para to Santorin, which is Uttle more than half-way to the Barra, often required a month. Still, I should have more confidence in observations made by men who have been a long time stationary in chosen spots, like Bates and Wallace and Spruce, than in those made 200 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS at steam pace. Agassiz's observations on "glacial phe- nomena " in Brazil are certainly very astonishing in- deed ; so astonishing that I have very great difficulty in believing them. They shake my faith in the glacial system altogether ; — or perhaps they ought rather to shake the faith in Agassiz. They seem to threaten a reductio ad absurdum of the whole theory. If Brazil was ever covered with glaciers, I can see no reason why the whole earth should not have been so. Probably the whole terrestrial globe was once " one entire and perfect icicle." Seriously, — to answer your questions ; — there is nothing in the least northern, nothing that is not characteristically Brazilian, in the flora of the Organ mountains. I did not myself ascend any of the peaks, but Gardiner did, and made very rich collections, of which he has given an account in Sir W. Hooker's Journal, and more compendiously in his volume of Travels. The vegetation consists of very curious dwarfish forms of those families and genera which are characteristic of tropical America, and especially of Brazil ; together with representatives of some other groups which are widely diffused, but by no means northern. So also the vegetation of the table lands has many peculiar forms, but is composed mainly of under-shrubby and herbaceous species, of the same family and genera which in the forests appear as trees and tall climbers. Certainly, if Brazil was ever covered with glaciers it seems to me certain that the whole of the tropical flora must have come into existence since. I also think it clear, on the same if, that the absence of " glacial action " from Southern Europe must be due to some other cause than climate. Again, to answer your last question. — Brazil (I speak not merely of the smaU part which I saw, but of what I have read of, and I have read a good many books of travels in that country), seems to be very deficient in lakes, with the exception of lagoons (" broads " they would be called in Norfolk), on the coast ; of these there are FLORA OF BRAZIL 201 plenty, but they are evidently formed in the same way as the Norfolk broads, by the natural damming up of the outfall of the abundant waters. Where I travelled, in the higher lands of the interior, the running streams were absolutely innumerable, but scarcely so much as a permanent pond to be seen. Many thanks to dear Mary for her kind message. With much love to her, believe me ever Your affectionate friend, Charles J. F. Bunbuey. To Mrs. Lyell. Barton, February 4th, 1866. My dear Katharine, I thank you very much for your kind letter and good wishes on my birthday. Yes, I have at- tained the venerable age of fifty-seven years, and I feel very thankful, as well I may, for the many blessings which the Almighty has bestowed on me ; above all, for the affection of my wife, and of so many excellent and valued friends as I have the happiness to possess. I may well be thankful too for the comparatively good health, and especially for the power of using my eyes in reading as much as I please. But somehow it is my nature, I think, to take more pleasure in looking back than in looking forward : and as 1 grow older this naturally increases upon me. I look back, certainly, on many faults and follies of my own, but also on a large proportion of peaceful and happy days, and the year (of my life I mean) which has just ended, I look on as a very happy one. I am not at all inclined to " let the dead past bury its dead ; " — but much more to " trust no future howe'er pleasant." Fanny is well, and we are fagging together at the classification of our Library Catalogue : the last step before beginning to write it out (or rather, to have it 202 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS written out) in the big book. You would not easily believe how much labour this classification requires. I feel very sorry for Mr. Boxall on account of Mr. Gibson's death. For Gibson himself, one hardly ought to say one is sorry (with the exception of his personal friends) ; of one who has lived to that mature age and done his work so well, honoured in his life and in his death, one can only say that he " Home has gone and ta'en his wages." Pray give my particular love to dear Rosamond, and thank her very much for me for her pretty little present. Much love also to your boys and to Harry. Believe me ever, your very affectionate brother, C. .J. F. BUNBURY. To Sir Chaeles Lyell. Barton, February 20th, 1866. My dear Lyell, Very many thanks for sending me Hooker's and Darwin's letters, which I have read with great interest. I agree in almost everything that Hooker says, as far as I can make him out, but his letter is very hard to read, 1 differ from Darwin as to the plants which he quotes, as instances of the occurrence of temperate forms on the Organ mountains ; he seems to consider as a " temperate " genus every genus which is found at all in temperate climates, and here I think him mistaken. I think I mentioned in my former letter, that, besides the strictly tropical forms on those peaks, there are species of genera which are very widely spread, and not specially either tropical or the reverse. Such a genus is Hypericum, one of those which Darwin enumerates ; it is found in almost all parts of the world, except very cold countries. Clematis (which he does not mention) is another instance of the same kind. Drosera and Habenaria (as Hooker points out) have PLANTS ON ORGAN MOUNTAINS 203 certainly their maximum within the tropics. If there are Vacciniums on the Organ mountains they are of the sub-genus (Gaylussacia of Humboldt), which belongs specially to South America, and of which there is a species even on the coast of Brazil, in the island of St, Catherine. If the Brazilian mountains were once a branch of the Andes (which I infer is Darwin's notion) I should have expected a greater number of the peculiar characteristic forms of the Upper Andes to be found on the mountains of Minus, etc., such as those " Rhododendrons of the Andes " (Betarius), of which Humboldt talks so much. There are some such : Gaultherias, Gaylussacias, Escallonias, etc., but not so many as one would expect. The strongest case, perhaps, in favour of Darwin's view and against mine, is the genus Drimys (the Winter Bark). Whether the American forms of Drimys be all varieties of one species, or a group of closely allied species, they certainly afford a most striking instance of a group of very near relations ranging along the Andes, from Cape Horn all through South America into Mexico, and re-appearing conspicuously on the table land of Brazil. I do not know whether they are found anywhere between Minas and the Andes. It is certainly quite allowable for Darwin to say, that they must have migrated to the Brazilian up- lands when these were more closely connected with the Andes than they now are. Fuchsia comes nearly into the same category with Drimys, except that there is a greater variety of forms, and some of them more decidedly distinct. I doubt whether either Fuchsia or Drimys is found very high up on the Andes. I acknowledge that, in my former letter, 1 did not sufficiently consider the possibility of the Organ mountains and those of Minas having been formerly much higher than now, and of their upper regions having been "glaciated" while in that position. But 204 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS after all, as Hooker says, the information in Madame Agassiz's letter is almost too vague to afford any- safe ground for fighting upon. 1 think the meaning must be, that the "glacial" marks were observed down to (not up to) 3,000 feet. This is a most material point. I do not agree with Darwin, that the nature of the vegetation of New Zealand gives us reason to believe that tropical families of plants could bear a cold climate. However luxuriant the vegetation of New Zealand, it does not, I think, in- clude any really tropical types. I am not so sure, however, about Chiloe and Valdivia. I am very glad to hear that Darwin's health is better. Believe me ever your very aiFectionate friend, Charles J. F. Bunbury. You may perhaps perceive that a certain degree of change has come over me while I have been writing this letter. I feel that I was perhaps too absolute in my first incredulity as to the possibility of glaciers on the Brazilian mountains : though I still think it quite incredible if they had only their present eleva- tion ; and I have recollected (as I noticed above) some instances of Brazilian plants which might with some plausibility be supposed to have migrated from the Andes. Sunday, February 25th. I went to afternoon church with Kingsley, who preached. A very agree- able evening with him. He is now, I am happy to find, in much better health than when he was with us in September. I wish I could remember more of his conversation. He is more and more an admirer of Darwin's theory of variation and natural selec- tion ; thinks it becomes more and more evident how much more "living" and "fruitful" this doctrine is than any previous one ; how many more phenomena it explains and how much more fruitful it is in in- teresting results. Kingsley told me in a most deUghtful way a Cornish legend about two saints in KINGSLEY ON MONASTICISM 205 that country who were also giants — St. Kevern and St. Just. He (Kingsley) has a strong antipathy to monas- tieism. He admits indeed that it was better than the uncontrolled reign of physical force, but he con- tends that the false views of human duty and human nature which were continually taught by the monks, retarded by centuries the progress of mankind. Their fatal errors were the depreciation of marriage and family life, and their degrading estimate of women. Instead he says of trying to make use of the ele- ments of law and order which did exist around them, instead of trying to induce men to live in society with some kind of decency and justice, they laboured to set up an entirely strange and unnatural order of society founded on the reverence for celibacy and asceticism. I cannot do any justice to his force of expression. He thinks that this belief in the sur- passing excellence of celibacy, and the ascetic doc- trine generally, as well as many others of the characteristic practices and doctrines of mediaeval Christianity (beginning even from the third century), were derived originally from the Buddhists of Eastern Asia. Probably they came through the medium of the Gnostic sects; but he says he knew really nothing about the Gnostics. He has read all that is now to be found concerning the Gnostics, and his conclusion is that all the information we possess about their doctrines comes from their enemies, and is not to be trusted ; even St. Augustine, one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived, was quite capable, he thinks, of misrepresenting his opponents. Kingsley says of Carlyle's " French Revolution," that he learned more about the real nature and the real meaning of the French Revolution from that book, than from the whole of what he has read be- sides about it. Carlyle alone made him understand the Revolution ; all the other works have only filled in the outUnes of the grand sketch. 206 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS To Miss Joanna Hornee. Barton, July 31st, 1866. My dear Joanna, I thank you very much for your very kind and agreeable letter from San Mareello. It must indeed be a charming retreat and refuge, both from the heat of the Italian plains and from the worse heat of political and miUtary excitement. I am more happy than I can well express to find ourselves at home again, and most thankful to find all weU and in good condition. I was so impatient all the time we were in London, to get back to my real home, that I could not half enjoy even the company of the friends we did see. The political horizon looks very stormy and un- settled, but I hope there is a probabihty of a speedy termination to that horrible war. It is shocking to think of the thousands of famihes that have been rendered desolate and miserable to gratify the ambition of the King of Prussia and his Minister. No doubt as God's Providence brings good out of evil, it is very possible and probable that the ultimate result of the war may be good : — that the complete domination of Prussia over Germany may be better for mankind than the divided state that has hitherto prevailed. One must believe that Bismarcks and other things "are but as slavish officers of vengeance " to the supreme good ; otherwise one could hardly reconcile one's self to the course of history ; but this does not prove that a war of aggression and conquest is not criminal. I wish the calamities of war fell only on the kings and ministers who cause them. As for the Italians, who really had some reason for attacking Austria, I am afraid they have been too much under the belief that courage and enthusiasm are the only requisites for victory. I hope, or rather wish, that after having obtained Venetia, they may become less ardent for VIRGIL'S "GEORGICS" MS. 207 war, and turn their attention more to commerce and internal improvement. But I am rather afraid the effect of this war will be to make the Sovereigns of Europe devote themselves more than ever to military pursuits, as they have seen how quickly a great power may be crushed by the superior military organisation of an ambitious neighbour. With much love to dear Susan, believe me ever. Your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Saturday, August 25th. The Pertz's arrived. Fanny and Leonora went over to MUdenhall and I took a walk with Pertz. September 7th. Pertz gave me a curious account of a very rare and valuable MS., which he has lately procured for the library at Berlin. It is a MS. of the first book of Virgil's Georgics, and is one of the most ancient MSS. known. So ancient that he believes it may even have been of the time of Augustus. It is on parchment, beautifully written entirely in large capital letters, and is for the most part in good preservation, as far as it goes ; it con- tains (I think he said) about 560 verses. No other MS. of Virgil of nearly equal antiquity is known, except one — also a fragment of the Georgics — in the Vatican ; and when the Vatican MS. was compared with Pertz's new acquisition, it was found that they must have been originally parts of the same copy, the one supplying the gaps of the other. He obtained his precious MS. from Holland, at a sale by auction, and gave only five dollars for it. He has promised me a copy of the paper in which he has given its history. Pertz thinks it probable that the ancients used books bound in somewhat the same shape as ours, as well as rolls ; although the earliest MSS. in the book form at present known are only of the fifth century. 208 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS Saturday, September 15th. Sir Edmund and Lady Head and the Miss Heads arrived. The Arthur Herveys and Lord Francis dined with us. Sir Edmund Head tells me that Sir George Cornewall Lewis did say : — " Life would be very tolerable if it were not for its amusements," and that this saying expressed his real opinion. It is a very happy one, as applied to the generality of what are called amuse- ments. Sir Edmund Head is a man of extraordinary range and variety of information and accomplish- ments, and his conversation is very interesting. His knowledge both of books and men is remarkably extensive and various. There seems to be (with the exception of the natural sciences) hardly any subject of rational curiosity on which he is not well informed, but his more special study has been that of the fine arts (in the most extensive sense) : in every branch of these he appears to be really learned. He is also, from his long official experience, well acquainted with practical politics and political men, and his political views appear to me moderate and reason- able. To Miss Joanna Hornee. Barton, November 18th, 1866. My dear Joanna, I thank you very much for your very kind letter of the 11th, which has given me great pleasure. It is a long time since I have written to you, but I trust you know me well enough to believe that it has not been from forgetfulness of you, and that T have not failed to think often of you and dear Susan. 1 felt very much for you at the time of that most sad and astounding calamity in the Pulszky family,^ well knowing how much you were attached to them all, and how great a shock it would be to you. It was indeed one of the saddest events within my know- 1 The death of Madame Pulszky and her daughter from cholera shortly after followed by that of her second son. * VENICE FREE 209 ledge — such a rapid accumulation of sorrows on one unfortunate man, that it seemed hardly credible. And so Venice is at last really solidly united and identified with Italy. It is a grand event. While the political prospect in other directions looks gloomy, unsettled and unpromising, this is I hope a really permanent good that has been gained, and I trust that the Italians wUl now direct their thoughts to peace and industry, and internal improvement ; though I fear they may have some trouble yet with Sicily and Naples. After Edward left us on the 2nd of November, we were for nearly three weeks quite alone (except a visit of three days to the Heads at MildenhaU), and we enjoyed the rest very much, and it did us a great deal of good. Since I began this letter we have had another little fit of gaiety : Sir John Kennaway and his son and daughter stayed with us from the 19th to this morning, the 22nd; the Abrahams and Wadding- tons being here the first day, the Arthur Herveys the other two. It is, I think, since my letter to you, that I have read Baker's " Great Basin of the Nile," one of the best books of adventurous travel, I think, that I have ever read. By saying "adventurous travel," I mean to distinguish it as belonging to a distinct class of travels from such as those of Hum- boldt, Martius, Ulloa, Darwin, Bates, and many others, in which the personal narrative is quite sub- ordinate to the scientific or other information. Baker is a traveller of the class of Bruce and La Vaillant, and is a remarkably entertaining one ; a very clear and lively writer. With much love to Susan, I am ever your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Received Vol. I. of the new (tenth) edition of Lyell's " Principles," and read chapter 9, which treats of the "Progressive Development" of organised II. — p 210 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS beings in geological time. This is in a great measure new, and is extremely good. His treatment of the subject appears to me particularly judicious ; without committing himself absolutely to the "Progressive Development " theory, he gives an excellent sketch of the evidence which we possess on the subject, and fairly and candidly admits the preponderance of evi- dence in favour of the theory. By the way, it may be advisable to devise some other term for this doc- trine than that of " Progressive Development," which might readily be conftised with the Development theory of Lamarck and Darwin. With that theory it has no connection. What is meant by it is, the successive appearance in the course of geological time, of continually higher and higher forms of organic life, the appearance of an ascending scale of organic types, as we advance from earlier to later deposits. Lyell was for a long time an opponent of this theory, and it is the more honourable to his can- dour that he has now fully acknowledged the pro- babilities in its favour, I quite agree with him too, that the evidence in its favour from the vegetable world is stronger than the animal. London, December Wth. We dined with Charles and Mary ; met Miss Coutts, Julia Moore, Mr. Lecky, .Joseph Hooker, and Edward ; very pleasant. Many more in the evening. Bentham, Hardcastles, Romillys, Louis Mallets, Mr. Maurice, Mr. Wallace, etc., etc. December 12th. Finished chapter 13 of Lyell's "Principles." New edition, relating to the astro- nomical causes of geological changes. He here treats of the probable or possible amount of influence which such causes as the precession of the equinoxes, changes in the eccentricity of the earth's orbit, and in the obhquity of the earth's axis, may have had on geological phsenomena, particularly on the glacial period. The subject is a very difficult one, ignorant as I am of astronomy. What I do understand, and ALFRED WALLACE 211 what he seems to me clearly to have made out, is, that the effect of these astronomical causes must have been entirely subordinate to that of the changes in physical geography and almost insignificant in com- parison. Last night at Charles Lyell's I was introduced to Mr. Wallace, the great naturalist traveller. He said that he did not think the Indian Archipelago richer in variety or beauty of natural productions than tropical America, but it had been much less explored, and therefore afforded more novelties. His opinion of the Malays was that they make admirable ser- vants if due regard be paid to their feelings and pre- judices ; they readily become attached, and are more docile and tractable, more trustworthy and more industrious than the Negro races, but he thought them less intelligent, which surprised me very much. He says he must prepare for publication the narrative of his travels in the Indian Archipelago (of which he has seen so much more than almost any other European) though he would much prefer working entirely at the Natural History results of them. At the same party we saw the famous Mr. Lecky, the author of the important work on "Rationalism," a tall, fair, young-looking man, of extremely gentle, modest, quiet, indeed retiring manners — not talking much. Joseph Hooker was there also ; I was very glad to see him looking well, and seemingly in very good spirits. December 13th. I went to Katharine's, and spent a pleasant hour with her, looking over Ferns, a set of very beautiful and interesting ones, sent to her from Borneo, — some of them apparently identical with those of the Khasia mountains, others diff^ent, and some of them very unlike any I had seen before. Some magnificent Lycopodiums of the Selago and Phlegmaria sections. I also looked over with her the papers which she has written for her intended work on the geographical distribution of Ferns. I had 212 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS luncheon with her, and I then went to the Athenaeum, where I met Sir Edward Ryan. To Sir Chaeles Lyell. Barton, December 23rd, 1866. My dear Lyell, I send you the extract from Linnaeus which we were talking about the other day. It does not go so far, nor express his opinion so clearly as I had thought from looking hastily through the paper ; but I think it certainly implies, that he suspected some, or perhaps many, of the clearly alUed species of those genera which he mentions to have originated from hybrids, and to have become so far permanent as to require to be treated as distinct species. The extract is from the latter part of the 32nd dissertation of the Amcenitates academicae (vol. III. pp. 28-62) entitled Plaritoe Hybridce. In this dissertation, Linnaeus describes in detail many examples of what he con- sidered hybrid species (though all botanists of the present day hold him to be clearly wrong in this, as to all the cases) ; then he proceeds to enumerate several that he considers as suspicious, " suspeetce," and ends with the passage which I have extracted relative to exotic plants. The dissertation was delivered, it appears, in the University of Upsal, on the 23rd of November, 1751. What I think this passage shows, is, that Linnaeus was ready to believe that many species of plants, now acknowledged as distinct, might not have been originally created so, but might have been derived (by whatever process) from other species. With much love to dear Mary, I am ever your very affectionate friend, Charles J. F. Bunbury. REFLECTIONS 213 DESULTORY NOTES. I suppose it is true that during the years of child- hood one learns more, one receives a greater number of new impressions and imbibes a greater number of new ideas ; the development of one's mind proceeds at a greater rate than in any other period of life. But this development is in great part unconscious ; one does not observe and cannot measure the wealth of new ideas added to one's mind in childhood. Speaking of what I know, and am conscious of, I can say that the period of life in which I gained the most, intellectually — in which my mind was most enriched, grew to its full stature, was between the ages of eighteen to thirty. In these twelve years were comprised : — Firstly, my first acquaintance with foreign countries, in the tour which I made with my father and mother and brothers, in France and Italy, and after my mother's death, with my father and brothers, in other parts of Italy and in Switzerland. It is difficult to exaggerate the quantity of new food that is supplied to one's intellect when one just goes out of one's own country, under the direction of so powerful and so well-stored a mind as my father's. He was as well qualified, as he was well disposed, to guide my curiosity, and direct my observation to the objects most deserving, and to guard me against that dissipa- tion of mind of which there is so much risk when one is thrown without a guide amidst a multitude of new objects. Secondly, my experience at Cambridge, when I learnt something from the regular course of study, and more from some of my companions, — and perhaps most from " the Union." Thirdly, my first serious thoughts on politics, much assisted by the careful reading of Hallam's " Constitutional History," which I should consider one of the most important books in our language. Fourthly, the first reading of Lyell's "Principles 214 KINGSLEY AND OTHER FRIENDS of Geology" and Lindley's "Natural System of Botany," two books which made a great impression on me, and gave me the first idea of the philosophy of the natural sciences. Both these 1 read while at Cambridge. Fifthly, my visit to Brazil, by which indeed I did not profit so much as I ought to have done, but which, nevertheless, stored my mind with a multitude of beautiful and glorious images. Sixthly, my frequent and long conversations with Sir WUliam Napier, whom I used to visit annually, when he lived at Freshford. I could not fail to learn much from this intimacy with a great genius, and a noble though singular character, whose talk was copious and un- reserved, and who, however erroneous one might think some of his views, never failed to expound and to maintain them with wonderful vigour and elo- quence. He loved paradox and discussion, and his powerful though not always accurate memory sup- plied him with abundant materials for defending his opinions. He made a great impression on me. Seventhly, my canvass and contest for the borough of Bury, which added something to my knowledge of mankind. Eighthly, my stay at the Cape with Sir George Napier, one of the most interesting and most profitable years of my life. In this outline I have noticed only those things that contributed to my intellectual progress, not those of which the the effect was chiefly moral. q g {Written in September, 1866.) "Plutarch's Lives" is a book which I think particu- larly useful for boys and young men, and which I would always put into the hands of a boy, feeling sure that if there were any elements of nobleness in his character, it would call them forth ; and that it would do him nothing but good. It was my delight when I was about eleven to thirteen years of age (1820-22). I read the " Lives " over and over again. PLUTARCH'S "LIVES" 215 1 knew them almost by heart. They did not indeed excite me to the same violent degree as they did Alfieri (see his life), but few books made a deeper or more lasting impression on me ; and there are few to which I feel myself more indebted. I am sure that many men must have owed to that book, their first lessons of magnanimity; their first ideas of great and heroic characters. Therefore I think it should form an essential part of the studies of every English gentleman ; and that it is more important in this view than many books which are preferred on account of their superior merits of style. I read Plutarch in Langhome's translation, which I believe is not now highly esteemed ; but from the association of ideas with those early studies, I cannot now read him in any other. CHAPTER XXXV ORIGIN OF SPECIES January 'i\st, 1867. Charles and Mary arrived safe and well. January 29th. I had a walk with Charles Lyell and the Malletts. Charles Lyell said, that nothing contributed more to shake his belief in the old doctrine (which he formerly held) of the independent creation of species, than the facts of which so many have lately been recorded, relating to the rapid naturalization of certain plants in countries newly colonized by Europeans. He remarked that these introduced plants, many of which have spread to an enormous extent and with surprising rapidity in the Australian colonies, New Zealand and parts of S. America, belong in many cases to families entirely wanting in the indigenous floras of the countries in which they have thus settled themselves, and hardly ever to families prevailing in or characteristic of those indigenous floras. When one sees, he said, a particu- lar genus or order of plants abounding very much in a particular country and exhibiting there a great variety of specific forms, one is naturally inclined to suppose (on the "independent creation" hypothesis) that there are particular local conditions in that country, which render it peculiarly suitable and favourable to that family of plants. But when we see an introduced stranger which has no affinity to that prevalent family, intruding itself in its place, overpowering and superseding it, this explanation becomes less satisfactory, and one is led to search 216 NATURAL SELECTION 217 rather for some law of descent with variation, to explain the multiplicity of nearly allied forms in a particular region. Lyell thinks very highly of the Duke of Argyll's book, "The Reign of Law," and says that he has combated Darwin on some points with great force and justice, and has well exposed the weak points of his system. Where, however, the Duke attempts to deal with the great abstract questions of moral Liberty and Necessity, Fate and Free Will, he is not more intelligible or satisfactory than the generality of writers on those questions. The Natural History part of the subject he understands, and upon that he is very strong. Lyell agreed with me that Darwin is too apt to exaggerate the importance of his hypo- thesis of Natural Selection, to deify Natural Selec- tion (this was Lyell's expression) to speak as if Natural Selection were a great primary law of nature, which would explain the real origin of all the diversity of organic forms : instead of being at the utmost, the process by which varieties are segregated into species. He is also, Lyell said, too scrupulous in avoiding any but the slightest admission of, or allu- sion to a first cause : even avoiding with excessive care any reference to a Designer, while (as in his book on Orchids) he continually points out proofs of Design. This dread (as it were) of any reference to primary causes seems to be owing (Lyell said) to a reaction against the too great readiness of some of the naturalists to refer on every occasion to such causes, thereby saving themselves the trouble of in- vestigating secondary causes, Agassiz (Lyell says) runs into great extravagances in this way, maintain- ing not only that all species were created separately, such as they now are, but that whenever a species exists in two distinct parts of the world, it was separately created in both ; and moreover that there was an entirely new creation at the beginning of every geological period. He holds, in short (Uke 218 ORIGIN OF SPECIES Uncle Toby concerning noses), that there is no reason why one species resembles or differs from another, except that the Almighty made them so. Undeniably true, no doubt, and saves all the trouble of philosophizing. Lyell told me that a stranger once sent him a drawing of what he supposed to be a fluted column, very skilfully wrought and elaborately ornamented, and which, he added, " proves the antiquity of man to be much greater than even you have hitherto represented it." It was a fine Sigillaria, of the coal formation. And the man had no ironical mean- ing, but quite seriously believed it to be a work of art. Lyell remarked that when we read Linnseus's writings in such clear, intelligible (though pecuhar) Latin, we feel very sorry that the Swedes, his countrymen, should have lately taken to writing their scientific works in their own language, which makes them sealed books to most parts of the world. To Mrs, Lyell. Barton, March 6th, 1867. My dear Katharine, Kingsley spent last Sunday with us. He was very agreeable, as he always is, but seemed over- worked and fagged, though in better health, essen- tially, than he was last year. This has been a strange day; furious storms of hail, sleet, and snow, with bright sunny gleams between. The morning was very bad, and the eclipse was to be seen only in passing glimpses through the midst of the drifting clouds ; but even so it looked very remarkable. We are all in the "catalogue line:" — you working at your geographical fist of Ferns : Fanny at the hbrary catalogue : and I have as many as three lists in hand, one (for you) of the Brazihan localities of Ferns known to me ; one of my herbarium, and one of my fossil plants. T am certainly inclined to think that LINNEAN SOCIETY 219 Sir W. Hooker carried the reduction of species very far, and I am often at a loss to know on what prin- ciple he reduced some species to varieties, and left others to stand as distinct, which do not appear more different ; moreover, I think he was not sufficiently- careful in noting the characters of what he considered as varieties. It may not be of much consequence whether a certain well-marked form is or is not admitted to the honours of a species : but it is im- portant that its distinctive marks, whether specific or not, should be clearly pointed out. I hardly know any book in which varieties are treated so satisfac- torily as in the last published volume of De CandoUe's " Prodromus," containing the Oaks. Believe me ever. Your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Good Friday, April 19th. I read a most striking and admirable sermon of Kingsley's: — "The Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth." He treats of the general shaking and breaking up of old beliefs, old opinions and old systems, which is going on every- where in the present day ; the general agitation and disturbance of old notions, not only in the natural sciences, but in poUtics and religion ; and he argues in a noble tone of thought and feeling, that we ought not to look with fear or horror on this general ten- dency, but to believe that it is part of God's plan for the government and education of the world, and that as such it must lead to good. May 1st. I went to Bentham's reception (as Pre- sident of the Linnean Society) at the Linnean Society's rooms at Burlington House. The rooms were very beautifully decorated with a profusion of fine hving plants in flower, from Kew and from various nursery gardens — many of them rare and curious, especially the very singular Orchid, Urope- 220 ORIGIN OF SPECIES dium Lifidenii. On the tables were exhibited a great many curious and interesting specimens of natural history : rare birds and insects brought by Mr. Wallace, from the Eastern Archipelago ; a collection of various cones of the Coniferous and Proteaceous orders, curious fruits of Bignoniaceae, and some other families from Brazil : and above all, fine specimens of that most wonderful and beautiful Sponge, Euplec- tella AspergUlum. On the walls were a variety of prints, drawings and photographs. To Mrs. Lyell. August 1st, 1867. My dear Katharine, I have lately finished Miss Edgeworth's Memoirs,^ and I thank you very much indeed for lending them to us. They have both entertained and interested me extremely. Her character as it comes out in those letters is quite delightful, and I think her genius and wit appear to still more advan- tage in her letters than in her published works, be- cause she is not always intent on a moral lesson. This is what to me always spoils nearly all her novels (I do not speak of her writings for children, in which the moral preaching is more in place) — that the moral purpose is too conspicuous, is thrust for- ward too studiously and ostentatiously. I wanted to read again her "Helen," which (as I remember) I thought the best of all her novels, but which is not included in the collected edition of her works; Willis and Sotheran told us it was quite out of print, and could only get for us with some difficulty, a second hand (or much more than second hand) copy, so dirty that we are obhged to get it new bound before we can read it. Miss Edgeworth's account of her Connemara expedition is most curious and enter- taining. I should like much to know what became ' Privately printed. MISS EDGEWORTH'S MEMOIRS 221 afterwards of that Miss Martin, who must have been a very remarkable character. The Editress's part seems to me to be done with much good taste and judgment. The weather is worthy of Terra del Fuego ; we have fires every evening, and I am at this moment writing with a fire in my sitting room, and not at aU too warm. I wonder whether it is as cold with you in Scotland ; it can hardly be colder. Pray give my kind remembrances to your brother-in-law and the Miss Lyells. I can never forget their kindness to us when I anny was so ill at Kinnordy. Much love to Harry and your children, Believe me ever, Your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. To the same. Barton, August 15th, 1867. My dear Katharine, 1 am delighted to hear that you had such a good botanizing at Clova. I was going to say that I wish I had been with you ; but that would look like discontent, which I do not feel, for I was very agree- ably occupied during that same time ; but I do wish and hope that I may one day be with you in a good botanical expedition. I think one of the greatest pleasures in life is a good day's botanizing in a fine wild country, and in pleasant company. 1 do not know whether I shall ever enjoy that pleasure again. But I can thoroughly sympathise with and rejoice in the happiness of young naturalists like your Leonard. 1 cannot, I am afraid, quite so well enter into the deUghts of fly-fishing, but if I cannot entirely y^e/ with Leonard and Frank in this respect, 1 am very glad they were so happy and so successful. I am very much obUged to you for your offer of a 222 ORIGIN OF SPECIES plant of Woodsia, and shall be very glad to try to keep it. Those Arctic plants are often more difficult to keep in our gardens than tropical ones. Most of our Ferns, indoor and out, are looking extremely well, and the garden, arboretum, etc., in great beauty, and most enjoyable during the splendid weather that we have lately had. The Catalpa tree in the arboretum is one mass of blossoms, quite magnificent. The whole air about here is loaded with the scent of flowers. This last week has been glorious harvest weather, only yesterday the heat was so excessive that the men were absolutely forced to give up their work for a time, and some of them felt really ill from it. Ever your very affectionate brother, ChAELES J. F. BUNBURY. To the same. Barton, September 26th, 1867. My dear Katharine, JNIany thanks for your information about the Dundee^ meeting. It must have been very pleasant for you. I have bought Hooker's " Garden Ferns," a beautiful book and a very good one it seems, as far as I have time yet to study it ; for it only arrived yesterday evening. The more 1 study my favourite and special botany, the more I feel how infinitely httle I know ; but I trust to go on learning to the end of my life ; and why not in another life too ? I am reading " The Early Years of the Prince Con- sort." It is interesting to see his passion for know- ledge, even in his early youth, and his strong sense of duty. I should think it is a book that is likely to be, or ought to be, a valuable lesson to the young generation of gentlemen. Since I wrote to you on the 19th, we have had a 1 British Association. SIR HENRY BUNBURY 223 little more company, Sir Edmund Head and Mr. Clark of Trinity College, Cambridge (the public orator) ; both remarkably agreeable men. They seemed, too, to suit each other very well. Sir Edmund is really a wonderful man: — such variety and depth of knowledge, such power of expression, such a vigorous intellectual grasp, and with aU this, the gaiety and spirits of a boy. We have had some cold nights lately, but not enough cold to kill down the heliotropes or geraniums or to hurt the blossoms of the Cobaea Tritoma ; Uvaria is just passing off, and Amarylli Belladonna coming on. Beeches and horse-chestnuts beginning to show a tinge of yellow, and the American Oaks to turn red. Believe me ever, your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. To HIS Bkothee. T. , TT Barton, November 3rd. My dear Henry, I am very much obliged to you for the in- formation you sent me about our father's commission and steps of promotion in the Army. Some of them mdeed, I had already ascertained, either from a shght outline which he left of his military career, or from the Annual Register ; but I am very glad to have the complete Ust. It was in the year 1800, while residing with the Duke of York as his A.D.C., that he took the resolution to improve himself and make himself fit for important commands, and with this view obtained leave to go and study at the mihtary coUege. I always think it was a most remarkable proof of the energy and greatness of his character, that with no advantages of education or example after living in such an idle and dissipated set as that at Oatlands, and with every temptation to continue in a course of idleness and dissipation, he should of his own accord have formed such a resolution and 224 ORIGIN OF SPECIES adhered to it with such steadiness that in a very few years after, he earned the esteem and confidence of Sir James Craig and Sir John Moore. I am very sorry I have not been able to find among his notes anything relating to his studies or his companions at the mihtary college. Do you happen to remember anything that he may have said about it ? Believe me ever, your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Tuesday, 10th. We dined with the Charles Lyell's. Met Mr. Twisleton, Murchison, the Benthams, Lady Bell, Mr. Franks. Mr. Twisleton talking of Sir James Mackintosh (to whom he thinks Sir Henry Bulwer in his " Historical Characters " has scarcely done justice), said Parr's famous sarcasm on Mackintosh is not adequately given in the Quarterly Review article on that work. As he (Mr. T.) had heard it. Mackintosh and Parr were in company just at the time when the former was accused of deserting his political friends by accepting the appointment to Bombay. The fate and character of Quigley, the Irish Rebel, was discussed, and Mackintosh ended by saying — " After all he was as bad as he could be ; he was an Irishman, a priest and a traitor." "No, .lemmy," said Parr, " 1 do not agree with you — you say he was as bad as he could be, I say he might have been worse — you say he was an Irishman, he might have been a Scotchman — you say he was a priest, he might have been a lawyer — you say he was a traitor, he might have been an apostate." Mr. Twisleton told this story with great effect. Mr. Twisleton said that if Mackintosh had been a more selfish man, and more disposed to self-asser- tion, he might have gained more fame as well as power. He said that Brougham was the person aimed at by Sydney Smith as a contrast to Mackin- tosh, in the passage beginning " if he had been arro- JUNIUS'S LETTERS 225 gant and grasping, if he had been faithless and false." (See "Life of Mackintosh," Vol. II. p. 503.) We had talk about Junius's letters. Mr. Franks said he could affirm that Junius and Sir Philip Francis used the same seal. It seems he has made a particu- lar study of these subjects — seals, engraved stones and the like — and Mr. Parkes (who began "The Life of Sir P. Francis," which has been completed by Herman Merivale) showed him all the seals which have been preserved of the original letters of Junius. He satisfied himself by minute examination, although pains had been taken to render the impressions in- distinct, that some of them had been made with the official seal of Lord Barrington, which was one used by Francis, and that others would be identified with another seal (an antique head, I think) which was also used by Francis. Mr. Twisleton said that Lord Holland used to deny that Francis could have been the author of Junius on this ground. That he was so vain a man that it would have been impossible for him to have avoided pluming himself on such a work, if he could have claimed it. To Mrs. Lyell. Barton, January 18th, 1868. My dear Katharine, Poor dear Richard Napier's^ death ought hardly to be an occasion of mourning ; it is to him such a happy and welcome release from a world in which he had nothing left to live for, that I feel one ought rather to rejoice at his liberation. For the last year he had been, in effect, dead to all but sorrow. I think often and with pleasure which will never fail, of the former bright days when I had so many delightful conversations with him. When he was in good spirits he was one of the most delightful • Brother of the three distinguished Generals, Sir Charles^ Sir George, and Sir William Napier. II. — a 226 ORIGIN OF SPECIES companions I ever knew : such a wonderful flow of unaffected eloquence, such power of language, such extensive and various knowledge, and with all this, so much humour and such a fund of good stories. He was one of the kindest, warm-hearted men that ever hved, and I do beheve one of the best : though over-sensitive, and therefore not quite so happy, perhaps, as so good a man should have been. He was, indeed, a man not to be forgotten by those who have ever known him. With much love to all your family party, believe me ever, your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. January 11th. Joseph Hooker and Alfred Newton (the Cambridge Professor of Zoology) had stayed with us from the 24th ; both very pleasant. Hooker is an admirable man, and a very interesting one ; I have known him now many years, and always admired him, and I think he improves still further upon further acquaintance. My acquaintance with him began April 3rd, 1846, at Mr. Horner's house, in Bedford Place. He is not only one of the greatest botanists now living, but has a great variety of in- formation and of pursuits ; a generally well culti- vated and remarkably active intellect. An eager, impetuous nature, somewhat excitable, 1 should think, though capable of a vast amount of work. He is, in natural science, a keen Darwinian, and in general a warm advocate of what are called " liberal " and " progressive " doctrines, though not violent or extravagant ; not a subversionist hke Huxley. Eager to welcome new discoveries, and to follow up new thoughts and new suggestions, he is at the same time not at all deficient in veneration, and is able and willing to do full justice to the learned and the good of former times. Hooker said that what he thought especially remarkable and admirable in Lyell as a man of science, was his candour and fairness ; his JOSEPH HOOKER 227 anxious care to understand thoroughly the opinions and arguments of his opponents, and to state them fully and fairly. In this I entirely agree with him. He thinks that Lyell's complete conversion, and open avowal of his conversion to the Darwinian theory, at his time of hfe, and with his estabhshed celebrity, and after he had elaborately argued against the same theory in many editions of his great work, is a phenomenon almost unexampled in science. Hooker wishes for the separation of the natural history collections, now in the British Museum, from the rest, but would not send them to South Kensing- ton. He is for establishing them near the southern part of the Regent's Park. Bloomsbury, he said, is a bad situation, owing to the want of light. He is much against the system of trustees, and would have every institution placed under a single responsible head ; in which I heartily agree with him. He admired many of our trees, especially the Cepha- lonian Fir, the Cryptomeria (the one in the arbore- tum), Pinus excelsa and Magnolia acuminata. Those at Hardwick he admired stUl more, and said that Lady CuUum's Conifers, especially the Deodaras and Araucarias, are far superior to the boasted ones at Elvaston.' He observes that the Wellingtonia makes repeated growths in the year, whence it is more diffi- cult than any other Conifer to distinguish the shoot of one year from that of the past ; therefore he suspects that more than one ring of growth may be formed in one year, and thus that the estimates of its enormous age may be fallacious. For other notes of Hooker's remarks on botany, see my natural history note book. Joseph Hooker .told me that Charles Darwin offered to give his new book to his brother, if he would promise to read it. " No, I thank you," said Erasmus Darwin, " I would rather buy it than read it." Newton is a very good naturalist, and a well-informed and very pleasant man. Birds are his especial study, and on them he is, I believe, a great 228 ORIGIN OF SPECIES authority. He has visited Iceland in pursuit of them, and it was amusing to hear him and Hooker compar- ing their Arctic and Antarctic experiences. Wednesday, January 29th. Much shocked by hearing of the sudden death of Sir Edmund Head. He is a very great loss. It is only within the last few years that I have come to know him intimately, but in these last three years (especially) we have seen a great deal of him, and liked him exceedingly. He was most friendly and cordial to us, and seemed to enjoy his visits to Barton. I have scarcely known a man of more extensive and varied knowledge, or of a more powerful grasp of mind, and with this he had a remarkably refined taste and feeling for poetry. On a shght acquaintance his manner struck one as dry. I was quite surprised when I came to know him better, to find him fuU of humour and fun — often as merry and hght-hearted as a boy. He was a thoroughly genial man, and a most kind-hearted one. February 24>th. We have had a dehghtful visit, — first, from the 14th to the 17th, the Lyells alone ; since the 17th, the Kingsleys also. Charles and Mary are in very good health and spirits, and have been delightful. Mary's beauty in her 60th year is wonderful. I hardly need repeat, that I admire and value them both above most other people on earth. Charles Lyell is just finishing the 2nd volume of his new edition of his " Principles." His thoughts are as usual much occupied with Geology and the sciences connected with it, and especially with the Darwinian theory, for which he has become quite an enthusiast. He is delighted with the success of Darwin's new book, which has sold much better than was expected, and he says that but for his encourage- ment Darwin, who was very despondent about it, would hardly have brought it out, or at least not nearly so soon. Lyell does not allow much time to read other books than those bearing on Geology, but he is deUghted with Motley, as I have been too. LYELL AND KINGSLEY 229 March 2nd. Looked over dried plates with Kingsley in the morning. One of Kingsley's most remarkable gifts is that versatihty or mobility of mind which enables him to be (in the best sense), " all things to all men," — to adapt himself to all sorts of society ; to harmonize to a certain degree with all sorts of men, and always to find out and draw out whatever is best in them ; perhaps the great secret of this is an immense sympathy, — it is a gift in which I find myself specially deficient. Kingsley continues to take a keen interest in everything connected with Natural History, though he has but little time at his command for such studies. He told me of a plan he has, — which I earnestly urged him to carry out : of writing a Monograph on the Natural History (Geology included) of his own district — the plateau of the Bagshot sands on the Hartford Bridge flats. This district he has studied thoroughly, and he talked much to me of his theoretical views respecting its formation. Kingsley said that the history of the corruptions in the Christian Church between the time of the Apostles and the estabUshment under Constantine is completely obscured. He believes that the various forms of Gnosticism and most of the early heresies grew out of the influence of Buddhism, which had pervaded a great part of Asia. Buddhism, he says, was doubtless a reformation of Brahminism, getting rid of castes, and of the grossest superstitions. He thinks that Motley and many other Protestant his- torians have overlooked the importance of the Ana- baptist atrocities at Munster (in 1532), Those monstrous doings made a deep impression on men's minds : they contributed more than anything else to set the best men, such as Erasmus and More, against the Reformation, and they had a great effect in in- stigating the Catholic sovereigns to persecution. Nor was this entirely without excuse, for the authorities might with some show of reason apprehend that 230 ORIGIN OF SPECIES similar effects might follow from the development of reUgious innovation in other districts. Kingsley said that Swinburne, in his Chastelard, appears to have given a true view of Mary's character, and of the relations between her and Chastelard. He said that Swinburne's volume of objectionable poems shows true poetic genius, and the most abominable of them all has the highest poetic merit. Speaking of Froude in his Short Studies being rather hard upon Erasmus, he said it would have been well for Europe if the spirit of Erasmus had prevailed more in the reforma- tion. To Sir Charles Lyell. Barton, April 13th, 1868. My dear Lyell, Very many thanks for your letter upon Agassiz, which has interested me inuch, and I am deUghted that you are as much opposed as I am to his hypothesis of burying Brazil under ice. I shall now proceed at once to some remarks upon the Dar- winian chapters in your new volume so far as I have read them, — that is, chapters 35 to 39. 1 must begin by saying that I think this part of your book admir- ably clear and most instructive. Every reader will see at once that you are a zealous advocate of the Darwinian theory, but I do not think you can be said to be bigoted, and I much admire the candour with which you acknowledge the difficulty with respect to hybridity (especially at p. 321). This is, in fact the great difficulty in Darwin's way, and it does not appear to me to be as yet at all overcome. Now for my remarks, which in general apply rather to opinions or facts which you bring forward on the authority of others, than to what is strictly your own. First — I understand you (or rather Darwin) to say that where a genus or other group includes a great number of forms, running much into one another, with slight differences between them. DARWINIAN THEORY 231 this indicates a comparatively modern group, "so that there has not been time for the causes of extinction to make gaps in the series of new varieties " (p. 340), Now, will this always hold good? We may con- fidently affirm that the Ferns (including the Lyco- podia) are one of the most ancient famihes of plants now in existence ; they are found well characterized in the most ancient deposits which contain any dis- tinct traces of land plants. Yet there is no family of which the species run more into one another, or in which botanists are more puzzled to fix the limits of species and varieties. 2. — I doubt the correctness of Hooker's opinion (p. 305) that cultivated races of plants when they run wild, do not revert to the likeness of the original wild stock. One of the great difficulties in ascertain- ing the true native country of plants which are extensively cultivated (as you may see in many places in Alphonse de CandoUe's "Geographic Botanique") consists in this, that it is often so difficult to deter- mine whether individual plants of those kinds, which are found growing apparently wild, are really wild or the rehcs of former culture. Would there be this difficulty, if cultivated races never lost their distinc- tive characters ? Perhaps, however, Hooker would say, that these are not instances of real well-marked varieties, but of mere variations in luxuriance, Uke the cultivated states of the common red and white Clovers. My other remarks refer to mere matters of detail. I much admire your exposition of Sclater's " Regions of Zoological Geography," but — 3. — T must object to your naming the Tiger among the animals properly belonging to Northern Asia. I cannot doubt that his specific centre was in tropical Asia ; and that he gradually spread from thence to the north. 4. — Is it always true that our domestic animals are such as were social in their natural state ? Is the wild 232 ORIGIN OF SPECIES cat a social animal ? or is the jungle-fowl ? or is the rock-pigeon (which Darwin admits to be the original of our tame pigeons) more a social bird than the wood pigeon ? 5. — This is merely a question suggested by what is said in p. 355, of the swimming power of quadrupeds. Is any instance known of any of the monkey kind being able to swim ? I never remember to have read of such. What Wallace and Bates observed about the range of various species of monkeys being hmited by the great South- American rivers, appears most natural. I should have been surprised if it had been otherwise. The small swimming power (if I am not mistaken) appears to be one of the great dif- ferences between the quadrumana and the genus homo. As far as I have yet read, I think you have kept pretty clear of the way that the younger Darwinians run into, of representing the theory of natural selec- tion as having solved aU the mysteries of creation. The truth is, that the advocates of Darwinianism or Lamarckianism have a great advantage, inasmuch as theirs is really the only theory (properly speaking) on the subject. It is necessary, for clearness, to speak of the theory of special creation, but the truth is, that that hypothesis is merely negative ; those who support it merely mean to say, that species were created, they do not know how, but independently of previous species. Evidently the advocates of a positive theory have all the advantages of the invita- tion. It remains to be seen what Agassiz will put forth, as he has decidedly thrown down the gauntlet to the Darwinians. Do you remember our talking when you were last here, about Darwin's grandfather, the poet, and the scandal he gave by his theories ? I have since been rather amused by hitting upon a passage in Davy's " Salmonia," concerning the " in- genious but somewhat unsound" speculations of Darwin (the poet) as to the hereditary transmission LINNEAN SOCIETY 233 of peculiarities and the formation of new species thereby. He was in fact, a Lamarckian. So that Charles Darwin is himself an instance of the heredi- tary transmission of a propensity for daring theories. Ever yours affectionately, C. J. F. BUNBURY. London, April 29th. Bentham's evening party or Umneaxi gathering, at the rooms in Burlington House. As last year, a superb display of rare, beautiful and curious exotics, supplied from Kew and from some of the principal nursery gardens; one of the most remark- able, though not one of the most beautiful, a fine speci- men of the very rare Monizia edulis from Madeira — an umbeUiferous plant which looks as if it meant to imitate a tree-fern ; having a bare, upright, undivided, columnar stem, some six or seven feet high, crowned with a large tuft of handsome, deep green, curUng, and much divided leaves. Some withered leaves hanging down and partly conceaUng the trunk, give it still more the look of a tree-fern. The specimen was not in flower or fruit. Some beautiful ferns, especially a very fine (new ?) Aneimia of the Phyl- litidis group ; lovely Orchids, and superb specimens of the Anthurium Scherzerianum, with its brilhant scarlet spathes. A great variety of curiosities, both of nature and art, exhibited on the tables and on the walls. A fine collection of dried plants of the Bignonia family, with their fruits, sent by a Brazilian gentle- man. Bentham remarked to me, how much ahke the flowers are in most of that family, while the fruits are very various, and many of them very curious and strange. Monday, May 11th. We returned from a very agreeable visit of two days to Sir Frederick and Lady Grey. They took us out, driving, through part of Windsor Park : a most delightful drive, 234 ORIGIN OF SPECIES quite new to me. I was charmed with the beauty of the woodland scenery, the fine Thorn trees covered with blossom, the glorious old trees, Oaks and Beeches, the picturesque variety of ground, and the grand views of Windsor Castle in the distance. It is, indeed, a palace and a domain, worthy of a great sovereign. Sir Frederick Grey's house is very well situated, on a high ground, commanding on the south and south-east, a very fine and extensive view as far as the North Downs near Guildford, and even as far as Leith Hill. Through a telescope we saw very dis- tinctly the grand stand at Epsom, and the tower on Leith Hill. The situation is, indeed, extremely good, for, as he pointed out to me, the ground descends from it on all sides, so that they can never be built up. The house has been built entirely from their designs, and is admirable in its arrangements. J never saw anything more perfect. It is on the Bagshot Sands — Upper Bagshot I conceive ; the beds near the surface are gravels and sands, brown and yellow, Uke those of Sandhurst and Eversley ; and at a certain depth is a thick bed of greenish clay, very retentive of water. This, I presume, corre- sponds to the green clay of the middle Bagshot, which Kingsley pointed out to me at Eversley. Sir Frederick showed it to me in a railway cutting close to his house. Below this, he said, is a fine white sand. In sinking wells, they obtain good water from the beds immediately over the clay ; but a neighbour of his thought fit to penetrate through the clay, and found that he could reach no water without going to a great depth below. From hence stretches far away to the south and south-east, the fine open heath country of Bagshot and Sandhurst and Eversley, and the Hartford bridge flats to the foot of the chalk downs. CHAPTER XXXVI BRITISH ASSOCIATION Wednesday, August 19th, 1868. We went into Norwich^ after luncheon to the reception room, got our tickets. Went to see Mary and Katharine and Sedgwick. We all went to the Drill Hall to hear Joseph Hooker's inaugural address, as Presi- dent — we got very good places, and heard it well. The address was excellent. The leading topics were, at the beginning, a notice in very good taste and feehng, of the first meeting of the association which he had attended, and of the changes since then. Secondly, observations on the British Museum and on Provincial Museums. Thirdly (and princi- pally), a most excellent account of what Darwin has done for botany, leading to a notice of his work on " Variation," and a general defence of his theory. Lastly, observations on the supposed antagonism between science and religion, and the dislike or distrust shown by the clergy towards science. Altogether it was a fine discourse. I was much struck with his notice of the megalithic monuments on the Khasia mountains in India. He said that the natives of those mountains (the Khasias), even to the present time go on erecting temples of enormous unknown stones, almost exactly like those which are called Druidical monuments in England and in Bretagne. These were first described by Colonel Yule, as long ago as 1844 ; in consequence of the representations of the British Association, systematic ' For the British Association. 235 236 BRITISH ASSOCIATION measures are now to be taken to obtain and preserve all possible knowledge relating to these people and their works, and it is an object well worthy of atten- tion. From my approbation of what Hooker said about Darwinism, I must accept the notice of Pan- genesis, on which subject he appeared to me to be as unintelligible as everyone else who has touched upon it. The Mayor of Norwich spoke remarkably well in seconding the vote of thanks to Hooker. Thursday, AUf^ust 20th. We went into Norwich to Section C ; heard a very long paper by Mr. Osmund Fisher on the "Denudations of Norfolk." Charles Lyell spoke on it very well, with great spirit and clearness. Among other things, he mentioned that it was just fifty years since he first made a geological examination of the coasts of Norfolk and Suffolk, in company with a Dr. Arnold, who had been with Sir Stamford Raffles in the East, and that they were much puzzled by the glacial deposits, as at that time it had not occurred to anyone to speculate on the action of ice. He mentioned also the abun- dance of great icebergs which he himself had seen floating in the Atlantic, about the latitude of Nor- folk, and reminded us of the great difference of climate between this country and the same latitudes in America. Afterwards we went to the Institute of Pre-historic Archaeology, to hear Lubbock's Address. Then we went to see Mary and Katharine, Mr. Symonds and Sir William Guise. Friday, August 21st. Again went to NorAvich to Section C. Pengelly read a detailed report on the exploration of Kent's Cavern, Torquay — very curious. Afterwards the same Mr. Pengelly spoke extremely well. A paper on the condition of the bones found in the said cavern, pointing out the four different conditions in which they are found : entire, crushed, broken across and spUt length-wise : con- tending that those which are broken across, had been so broken by hysenas, and that those which were split GEOLOGY OF GREENLAND 237 length-wise, had been so split by man, and giving an amusing account of the experiments he had made on the treatment of bones by Uving hygenas, and on the possibiUty of splitting them with implements of stone and wood. Boyd Dawkins and others after- wards spoke on the same subject. Then we went to Section D, and heard a very Uvely and amusing speech from Frank Buckland, against the indiscriminate destruction of birds, and especially birds of prey. We visited Sedgwick, and dined with the Lombes at the Norfolk Club. In the evening we went to the Drill Hall to hear Mr. Fergusson's lecture on Buddhism : — it was excellently well dehvered, and very interesting, but the subject was so new to me, so little connected with any of my previous studies, that I do not feel sure that I understood it sufficiently to retain clear and correct ideas of its substance, and therefore 1 will not attempt to write it down. Monday, August 24^A. We went into Norwich to Section E. A long paper by Mr. Whymper on Greenland. After it Charles LyeU gave us an excel- lent discourse, or lecture, on the same subject. He explained the indications which remain to show that, in the Glacial period, the cold of Greenland must have been greater, and the accumulation of snow and ice much greater even than the present. And he dwelt more particularly on the proofs of the more extraordinary change which must have taken place since the Miocene Age, when, as the fossil plants show, Greenland must have been a well-wooded country with a mild climate and a rather rich flora. He gave some account of these fossil plants, and of the researches of Heer, whom he praised with great justice. Next, a paper on the Seychelles islands by Professor Perceval Wright — curious. One remark- able botanical fact he mentioned, that he had found near the summit of one of the islands, a genuine species of Nepenthes, a genus never before found out of Asia. The Seychelles island are the tops of a 238 BRITISH ASSOCIATION group of nearly submerged granitic mountains, each encircled by an annular coral reef, and having, as usual, calm water between the reef and the land. The lower parts of the island are luxuriantly fertile ; all the finest tropical productions are successfully cultivated there, and many have become wild. The islands are nearly exempt from hurricanes, and the climate, though hot, is healthy. In fact, Dr. Wright, described this group as an earthly paradise. Barton, Monday, August S\st. We have had a pleasant party of scientific men staying with us on their way from their meeting at Norwich. — The Benthams, Sir William Guise, Mr. Symonds of Pen- dock, Captain Brine and Mr. Pakenham Edgworth, besides Katharine and her son Leonard ; Mr. Bentham and Mr. Egerton are particularly pleasant. Our visitors were much pleased with the arboretum here, and particularly with the Catalpa and the Pinus excelsa, which both Mr. Bentham and Mr. Edgworth pronounced to be among the finest trees of their re- spective kinds that they had seen in England. Mr. Edgworth was much pleased at seeing the ^sculus Indica ; he had not seen it since he left India, and was not aware that it had been introduced into Europe ; indeed he thought there would be much difficulty in introducing it, on account of the oily nature of the seeds. He says it is one of the most beautiful trees he knows, and grows to a vast size ; he measured one in the Himalayas which was up- wards of 40 feet round the stem. It ascends, he says, nearly to the snow. He has measured Deo- daras 46 feet round. The Cupressus torulosa also, he says, grows to an immense tree, and of a very grand character. Mr. Bentham said, one of the largest trees he ever saw was a Plane, in one of the courts of the Seraglio at Constantinople. TURQUOISE MINES 239 September 2^th. We went with Lady Napier to the Bury Athenaeum, and heard a beautiful and admirable lecture from Arthur Hervey on Napoleon. He had in previous years given two other lectures on the same subject. This is the concluding one — embracing the latter part of Napoleon's career, especially the Russian expedition ; and it was per- haps the very best I ever heard from him, though not containing so much that was new to me as the one on Charlemagne. Deceviber 2nd. Edward tells me that the elephants which are represented on several of the later Greek and Grgeco-Punic coins are, except in one instance, distinctly of the African species, clearly marked as such by their enormous ears. The exception is in the case of Seleucus the 1st, who is recorded to have made or sent an expedition to India : as on one of his coins Indian Elephants are represented drawing a car. Lyell told me that he met at the Geological Club, a man lately come from Arabia who had visited the Turquoise mines there,^ who told him that in the recent re-opening of those mines (as I understand) many of the tools used in the ancient working had been discovered, and these were all of flint, and very similar to the flint hatchets of Europe. The flints were obtained from the nummulite limestone (Eocene) of that country, in which it occurred in much the same circumstances as in the European chalk. In a paper by Boyd Dawkins in the November number of the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, I found information which I had long wished for about the native country of the Fallow Deer. Dawkins (and he is a high authority) is satisfied that it is not an aboriginal native of any part of Northern or Middle Europe, but of the countries bordering the Mediterranean, especially 1 The mines are believed to have been worked 4,000 years ago, no doubt by the Egyptians, or at least on account of the Kings of Egypt. 240 BRITISH ASSOCIATION Northern Africa and Asia Minor. In Britain, he says, its remains have not been found in any deposits older than the historic times ; and he concludes that there is every probability that it was introduced by the Romans (as I beUeve was also the case with the Pheasant and the Chestnut tree). Monday, December \Mh. A visit from Norah Bruce,^ and a long and delightful talk with her. 1 think she is one of the most admirable women I know. 1 said to her with great truth that I do not so much congratulate her or her husband on his appointment to be Home Secretary, as rejoice that the country has secured his services in such a supremely impor- tant post. She told me that it is not yet known what borough he will be returned for ; but as his appearance in the Hosue of Commons will not be required before February, he has time to look about him. We agreed that the question of the Irish Church would be found full of practical difficulties, as soon as the first general declaration of principles was got over. She told me that when the new Ministers went down to Windsor to kiss hands, the Queen showed especial courtesy and attention to Mr. Bright. She caused it to be notified to him that he would not be required to dress specially for the occasion, to kneel, to kiss hands, or to go through any ceremony of which he did not entirely approve. He declared that he would on no account omit to kiss her hand ; and he did kiss it, but did not kneel. He is not to wear the Ministerial uniform. Norah said it is thought that Mr. Lowe is likely to be the most explosive element in the new Cabinet ; more than Bright. She said her husband is very appre- hensive lest Mr. Forster should be unseated on petition ; he would be a great loss to the Govern- ment, and especially to Henry Bruce, with whom he has worked much in unison on educational questions. Norah has, hke me, been reading Senior's " Conversa- ' Afterwards Lady Aberdare. BRIGHT IN THE CABINET 241 tions on Ireland," and agrees with me that it is an exceedingly interesting book, but that it leaves an exceedingly melancholy impression of the state of that country. One thing she thought particularly disheartening, is the determined bigotry and spirit of proselytism infecting the most educated Protestants ; not even the excellent Archbishop Whately appear- ing free from it. December 16th. Henry Bruce' and Norah dined with us. He told me that it was quite true that Bright was very unwiUing to take office, and was with much difficulty persuaded to do so. This was not on account of any Quakerish scruples, but because he felt himself unfit for the hard work of administration. At last he accepted the office, which of all those included in the Cabinet has (Bruce says) the least work and the least pay. Bruce spoke of the difficult and painful questions which sometimes occur to a Home Secretary, in relation to the punish- ment of death. He says he has laid it down as a rule, never to consent to receive a deputation relative to the case of any prisoner under sentence of death : he said, it might be supposed to be a safe rule that in every case of deliberate murder the sentence of the law should be carried out : but there do occur cases, now and then, in which even this rule has been hard to enforce. Bruce talked with great delight of the holiday time which he spent last autumn in the Island of Harris, the outermost of the Hebrides. He spoke quite with enthusiasm of the interesting wildness of the country, the grand rocks, of the magnificent surge that rolls in on the coast, the extraordinary appearances of the storms, the eagles sailing about the towering rocks. Friday, JDecember 18th. Charles Lyell tells me he has in his possession some of the stone implements (so-called hatchets and arrow heads) made of the ' Afterwards Lord Aberdare. II. — R 242 BRITISH ASSOCIATION quartzite (granula quartz), and found in the Deccan in India ; the localities and circumstances are described by Mr. R. B. Foote in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. They are of the true rude Palaeolithic type, and not unlike the flint implements found in Europe. They are supposed to have been made and used by some of the early native tribes which preceded the Hindoos in that country, and which are believed to have been allied to the aborigines of Australia. Friday, January 1st, 1869. Again I feel myself impelled to begin this new year with an expression of my deep, humble, and heartfelt gratitude to Al- mighty God for all His goodness to me, and for the innumerable blessings which I enjoy. I look back on the year 1868 as well as the one which preceded it, as periods of unmixed, unclouded happiness ; clouded, at least, only by the shadows which the sorrows of others cast over us. What this new year may bring us — who can tell ? but whatever it may be, I can never cease to be grateful for the blessings which have been showered upon me. Thursday, January 7th. Joseph Hooker talked to me of a prospect he has in view, which I think would be useful to botanists — that there should be a herbarium and botanical Ubrary kept together for constant reference, at the British Museum ; the herbarium to be a specially typical one, of select characteristic specimens, carefully named, so as to be as convenient as possible for consultation and for the determination of species. Such a herbarium, he says, might be formed from the duplicates of Kew, and from the more modern part of the collections in the British Museum. The old herbaria in the Museum, such as Sloane's, might be removed to Kew. The great inconvenience, at present, of the botanical collections in the British Museum is, that the books connected with the subject are all in a different department, and under another charge. NEW YEAR'S EVE 243 To HIS Brothee. Barton, January 9th, 1869. My dear Edward, It is rather late in the day to wish you a happy new year, but nevertheless, I do wish it you with all my heart and many more of the hke. We have been very quiet since we returned home. It is, indeed, an extraordinary winter, the farmers rejoice in it, for the remarkable open weather is so favour- able to the grass and the green crops, that it makes up in some degree for the drought of the summer and autumn ; it is good for the poor also. We have Snowdrops and yellow Aconites quite in flower in the grounds, the wood-pigeons are cooing and little birds singing. Fanny was not well enough on New Year's Eve to go with me to the Arthur Herveys' party, where they had a very pleasant dinner, and afterwards charades capitally performed by the young people of the two houses. Sarah and her brothers and sisters. Lady Mary, Lord John and Lord Francis. The words were — manslaughter and Penelope. Lady Mary looked reaUy beautiful as Penelope : and as her brother was Ulysses, they were not reduced to shaking hands on recognition, as you and Susan Horner were when you acted the same long ago at Mildenhall. While we were alone here I read " The Spanish Gypsy " aloud to Fanny, and we were de- Ughted with it : I especially so ; it is the most beau- tiful new poem I have read for a long time. Now I am reading to her some of Lord Campbell's " Lives of the Chancellors." She is also reading Lord Hervey's "Memoirs," with which she is much en- tertained : and I am reading Raleigh's " History of the World," which, however, as far as I have yet 244 BRITISH ASSOCIATION gone disappoints me : it is excessively lengthy, and does not appear to me at all philosophical. Ever your very affectionate brother, ChAELES J. F. BUNBURY. Thursday, January 28th, 1869. Montague Mac- Murdo is a man for whose abilities and character I have a high admiration, and in whose society T take great pleasure. He is cheerful, animated, genial and very agreeable in conversation. He has seen and observed a great deal, both of men and things, in many various countries, and has brought a clear and active mind to work on what he has observed. His stories of what he has seen and done are admirably clear and vivid. I never heard anything better told than his incidents which he related to us while here : — the one, his success over a horde of Beloochees who attacked him while with only twelve troopers under his command he was driving off cattle through a narrow pass in the Hill country ; the other. Sir Charles' danger while passing on an elephant over a weak bridge of boats across the Indus. February Qth. Our dear friends, the Kingsleys, with their two charming daughters. Rose and Mary, arrived. We had a very pleasant evening and con- versation with them. Kingsley told me that Prince Albert, many years ago, tried to naturahze both the Capercalh and the Red Grouse in the heath country about Bagshot. The Grouse soon dispersed and disappeared, but a few of the Capercalh still remain, and are seen from time to time ; he himself saw one there not long ago. But they have not increased, and the reason of this, as well as of the disappearance of the Red Grouse, is, he beheves, the want of sufficient food. It is quite idle to think of naturaUzing any kind of bird where they cannot have an ample supply of food suited to them. Heath alone is not sufficient for the Grouse, KINGSLEY ON CONSCRIPTION 245 On the famous Grouse moors of Yorkshire, he found that the growth consisted in almost as large a propor- tion of Bilberries, Crowberry and other berry-bearing plants as of Heath. The supposed epidemic among the Grouse a few years ago, was really, he believes, occasioned by insufficiency of food, their numbers having increased out of due proportion to the means of subsistence. Kingsley remarked that the professorial system, which in the middle ages prevailed in all the Univer- sities of Europe, and which still prevails in those of the Continent, has in England been superseded by the monastic system of the Colleges. Our Colleges are very rich, our Universities very poor. Kingsley said, in almost all cases of unhappy marriages which had come under his observation, the husband had been an idle man, without a profession and without any earnest special pursuit to supply the place of a profession. Saturday, February 20th. Charles and Mary Lyell, the Hookers and Captain Brine arrived, Mr. and Mrs. P. Smith and Mr. Abraham dined with us. Sunday, February lYst. We all went to Church in the morning. Mr. Smith's sermon excellent. I had a pleasant walk back with Mrs. Kingsley, and another in the afternoon with Charles and Mary. Kingsley said (and I quite agree with him) that one of the most dangerous classes in this country is the lower sort of Hterary men, especially many of those who are employed on newspapers and periodicals. The most prevalent of all vices in the present day, is envy : and much of what is called the democratic spirit is nothing else than mere envy. Kingsley is incUned to be favourable to a conscription (on some- thing Uke the Prussian system) in England ; he thinks that most young men would be rather the better for three years of military disciphne and training, between the period of school and that of the regular business of life. Of all the elements of 246 BRITISH ASSOCIATION society in England, the most stable is the class of country gentlemen. We were talking of the Balaclava charge ; Kingsley said the moral eiFect of it was worth all the sacrifice of life. It might be an error in a purely and technically military view : but only in that view. Kingsley has been told (I beUeve by his friend Mr. Gordon,^ the governor of Trinidad), that the practice of Obi pagan (magical rites) is still frequent among the professedly Christian Negroes of the West Indies and that (as among the veneficce of ancient Rome) this magic is generally combined with the practice of poisoning. In particular, that the Obi men have a practice of sharpening their thumb nail and anointing it with a deadly poison, so that any scratch with it is fatal. Humboldt mentions the same practice among the Otomaques of the Orinoco. Kingsley 's thoughts are very intent upon a delightfiil expedition which he has in prospect : he and Rose are going out to Trinidad with the governor Mr. Gordon, who is an intimate friend of his, to spend six weeks or two months there. With his intimate knowledge of all the history of the West Indies, his passionate love of nature, his knowledge of various branches of natural history, his ardour and enthu- siasm, and with such a companion as Rose, it will be as enjoyable an expedition as can be imagined. I trust both of them wiU preserve their health. Kingsley and I spent many hours together in looking over plants in my herbarium, as he was anxious to make himself familiar with the prevaihng types of tropical American vegetation. He has been assiduously studying Lindley's "Vegetable King- dom," for which he has a very just admiration. ' Afterwards Sir Arthur Gordon. LANFREY'S "NAPOLEON" 347 To Miss Joanna Hoener. March 1st, 1869. My dear Joanna, I hope you read Lanfrey ; 1 have just finished the third volume ; it is one of the most remarkable specimens of idol-breaking that I have ever met vs^ith. The way in which he strips the gilding oiF the great Emperor and exhibits him in his true detest- able character is most striking, and severe as his exposure is, it is entirely founded upon Napoleon's own correspondence. I have been constantly re- minded in reading this book, of Byron's fine ode, beginning — "'Tis done — but yesterday a King." I am afraid we can hardly hope that the " spell upon the minds of men " is effectually broken ; but it is a good thing that the wickedness of the greatest of conquerors should be thoroughly exposed. And I must add that Thiers, as a historian, is as much damaged by Lanfrey as his hero is. I have also lately read Colonel Chesney's Lectures on the Waterloo campaign ; he seems to be the first English writer who has done full justice to the Prussians, and clearly shown how much of the final success depended on Gneisenau's decision after the battle of Ligny. Fanny has for some time been reading Burnet's "History of His Own Time," and I am just beginning it, having lately read through the reigns of Charles and James II. in Hallam's " Con- stitutional History." Ever your very affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Thursday, May 6th. We arrived in London. We dined with the Charles LyeUs; met there Sir George Grey (the famous ex-Governor of New Zea- land), Mr. Lecky (the author of the very interesting ^48 BRITISH ASSOCIATION " History of Rationalism," &c.), and a few others. Sir George Grey made upon me the same impression which he did when I first met him several years ago ; that of a pecuharly grave, earnest, thoughtful man, of great strength of character and purpose. He expressed in the after-dinner talk, very democratic opinions, speaking strongly of the advantages result- ing from universal suffrage in the Austrahan colonies (including New Zealand). He seemed to wish that the principal colonies of the British Empire should be independent, but connected with Britain by a sort of Federal union. He said that the most eminent men in the colonies were apt to be much disgusted when they came to England, at finding themselves looked upon as provincials, and perceiving that the quahty of colonist is viewed as a token of inferiority. July 11th. Here is a story told me yesterday by Lady Rich. When the Viceroy of Egypt was here, and attended a sitting at the House of Commons, he was struck with the noise the members made in call- ing out " Divide ! Divide ! " — and asked the gentle- man who was in attendance on him, what it meant. The answer was, that they called out in that manner when they were tired of the debate and wished to put an end to it. Soon afterwards Sir John Bowring, visiting the Viceroy, became extremely prosy and long-winded in his discourse, when the Viceroy becoming intolerably weary of his prosing, at last brokeout suddenly with "Divide! Divide!" Another story. When the Archbishop of Dubhn was speak- ing on the Irish Church Bill in the House of Lords, Lord Chelmsford and Lord Derby were sitting side by side hstening to him. At last Lord Chelmsford said, " This is a very deep Trench." — " And a very long one," repUed Lord Derby in a doleful tone. July 12th. Visiting the Museum of Geology in Jermyn Street, I saw with satisfaction that the im- portant collection of fossils of the Norfolk Forest- bed, formed by Rev. Mr. King, has been de- MR. GAMBIER PARRY 249 posited there. It is rich, particularly in teeth of Elephas meridionalis, and in cones of pine and fir, besides many small seeds which cannot be identified without minute examination. The fir cones are easily recognized as those of the common spruce fir, and many of them are in a state famiUar to me from my Mildenhall observations, having been gnawed by squirrels, so that little is left but the mere axis of the cone, with mere stumps of scales. The pine cones have, I do not doubt, been rightly identified as those of Pinus sylvestris, but they are not exactly of the shape most common in that species. Monday, July 26th. During the meeting of the Archseological Institute at Bury, this last week, we have had three very pleasant men staying with us : — Mr. Clark, the Vice-Master of Trinity: another Mr. Clark, of Dowlais in Glamorganshire, a neigh- bour and friend of the Henry Bruces, and Mr. Gambler Parry : the two latter were previously strangers to us. The Vice-Master 1 have repeatedly mentioned before, and he is a great favourite with both of us. Mr. Clark of Dowlais is very cheerful and good-humoured, a man who appears full of vitality and of vigour, both bodily and mental, well- informed on a variety of subjects, having travelled much, observed much and read much. Mr. Gambler Parry is a remarkably accomphshed and agreeable man, of highly refined and cultivated taste, of great knowledge, especially in the fine arts and in mediaeval antiquities, but by no means confined to those sub- jects. Without being a scientific botanist, he has much taste for exotic trees. I had great satisfaction in "showing him the arboretum here, and found that his remarks showed much knowledge and apprecia- tion of the subjects. He particularly admired our Pinus excelsa and Lambertiana, Abies cephalonica, Catalpa and iEsculus indica, which last was, as may be supposed, new to him. He remarked that the Araucaria never thrives on a calcareous soil, and 250 BRITISH ASSOCIATION thought that its imperfect success here was probably owing to too much calcareous matter mixed with our clays and loams. He had observed that the Douglas Fir seldom thrives much in this country after growing to the height of fifty or sixty feet. He has travelled in Dalmatia, a country seen by few civilized men, and he spoke of the wild grandeur of the scenery, and the excessively savage and lawless habits of the people. He gave me, in particular, a description of a waterfall he saw in that country, where a broad river rushes in a succession of falls or rapids over a multitude of rocks of calcareous tufa, resembhng gigantic sponges. Here are two stories of school examinations, told by Mr. Clark of Dowlais. — At a school in his country (the iron district of Glamorganshire) some- thing was said, in the course of an examination, about the Prophets. The question was put : — " What is meant by Prophets ? " — Answer : " What the ironmasters make " {profits). 2. A clergyman in the north of England asked one of his principal parishioners, a farmer, to examine his school a Uttle in the catechism. The farmer, after a few other questions, asked — "What is your duty to your neigh- bour ? " One of the children answered — "To believe in him." "Na, na," said the farmer, "that wunna do; if ye beUeve in him, he'll do ye I " To Miss Joanna Hoeneu. Barton, August 2nd, 1869. My dear Joanna, Most of my time in London seems, as is often the case, to have been spent in a sort of busy idle- ness — pleasant enough at the time, but leaving Uttle distinct impression on the memory. I did really, however, find our stay in London very enjoyable. We had a good deal of pleasant society in a quietish way (decidedly quiet as far as I was concerned, for PARALLEL ROADS OF GLEN ROY 251 I went neither to balls, or late drums) ; we saw many old friends and made some agreeable new acquaint- ances ; and above all it was an immense pleasure to have that most charming of girls, Sarah Hervey, staying with us nearly all the time. I am fonder than ever of the Herveys, both Lord and Lady Arthur and their children. Nor were we entirely idle, for we read very carefully {we, including Sarah Hervey) through ten cantos of the "Purga- torio." Here Fanny was the leader, for I had read it only once before, and it was entirely new to Sarah. We also added to our knowledge in another way, by three very interesting days spent in Canterbury, with which we were both delighted — and by a very satis- factory day at the Tower, which strange to say I had never before seen. 1 believe I told you in my last letter how much I had been delighted with Wallace's "Malay Archi- pelago" and, as I understand it has been sent to you, I daresay you have read it with equal pleasure. It is a book quite worthy to be classed with Darwin's "Journal" and Bates' "Amazons" and perhaps it contains more of novelty even than they. Sunday, September 26th. I had a long and interest- ing letter from Lyell on the geology of the High- lands of Scotland, which he has been examining. Of Glen Roy, he says decidedly that " there can be no doubt that the glacial theory is the only feasible one," that is the theory that the roads were the beaches of fresh-water lakes, dammed up by glaciers. He says " as to the parallel roads of Glen Roy, I was agree- ably surprised in one respect. When I visited them just fifty-one years ago in company with Dr. Buck- land, I remember we found great difficulty in deter- mining the width and dimensions of some of those which when seen from the distance of some miles, cut the side of the hill as distinctly as telegraph wires often intersect a landscape : but when Leonard 252 BRITISH ASSOCIATION and I climbed up to the uppermost shelf, 1,440 feet above the level of the sea, we found it perfectly dis- tinct, and for half-a-mile very uniform in width, about ten paces : and so of the second shelf, 80 feet below, which on the same hiU sides sloping at an angle of 31 degrees was also 10 paces wide — the road sloping at an angle of about 10 degrees. They were admirably defined, and when we came to lateral gulhes or ravines, the roads bent round and entered them for a certain depth, as they ought to do if the old lakes were sufficiently modern to belong to the present glen, when it was almost exactly of the same form it is now, even as to the dimensions of the side valleys, with this difference only, that the streams which every winter are cutting their channels some- what wider and deeper have enlarged the gullies, and cut away some of the old shelves or beach terraces since the time when the barriers of the lakes gave way. There can be no doubt that the glacial theory is the only feasible one. Yet it requires us to assume immense glaciers coming from Ben Nevis, and block- ages of ice in the Caledonian Canal, 1,500 feet high, and the lakes of that canal, which are deeper than the German Ocean, choked up with ice ; and since this glacial state of things no derangement in the level of the roads, though the most remote parts of some of them are twenty-five miles distant from other parts. " They who speculate on this subject seem pretty well agreed that the roads do not belong to the first or continental period, when Scotland stood higher above the sea than it does now, and was wrapped in a winding sheet of the ice : — nor to the second period of submergence, when Scotland and England were an archipelago, and when marine shells were at some points deposited in the glacial drift. The shelves are assigned to the end of the third period after the remergence of the land nearly to its original height, and when there were separate glaciers in the moun- tain valleys." GEOLOGY OF SCOTLAND 253 In the same letter he tells me that Leonard has just come back from the Clova Mountains, having discovered some traces of organic remains in the metamorphic Umestones associated with the mica- ceous and gneiss rocks which Murchison supposes to be Lower Silurian. " His object " (Lyell continues) " was to ascertain whether the two tarns (which you remember) called Loch Brandy and Loch Whorral, were rock-basins, or merely the heads of small glens dammed up by glacier moraines, and which would be entirely drained if the moraines of loose matter at the outlet were removed. He has come back quite satisfied that the latter view is the correct one." Charles LyeU is now in his 72nd year, but his mind is delightfully fresh and active, and it is a pleasure to see that he still retains enough of bodily vigour and activity to be able to ascend the Highland mountains. May he long be spared to us. To SiE Chaeles Lyell. Barton, September 29th, 1869. My dear Lyell, Very many thanks for your letter from Scot- land, which I have read over more than once with great interest and satisfaction. I am delighted that your tour has been so agreeable and so productive of observations, and especially that you are still able to climb high mountains. What you tell me about the old Silurian, Cambrian and Laurentian rocks in the N. W. of Scotland, seems to confirm Murchison's description of them, which I have just been looking at again in the last edition of Siluria, where he gives also a small sketch of the forms of those remarkable mountains that you mention. It is certainly very curious that the lower beds of the lower Silurian of the Highlands should be in so much less metamorphic a state than the upper, and that the Cambrian sand- stones should be horizontal and so similar to Old Red. 254 BRITISH ASSOCIATION I do not quite make out from Murchison's description, whether the old Laurentian gneiss is different minera- logically from the newer and more extensive Silurian gneiss, nor whether it is stratified as well as lami- nated. 1 was particularly interested by your observations on the parallel roads of Glen Roy. I have lately read Nicol's paper on them in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, and looked back to McCuUoch's outhnes of the scenery in the old trans- actions. I was very desirous to know whether, after a personal re-examination of them, you adopted the lake theory, or the arm of the sea theory. 1 perceive clearly (I think) from your letter that the theory of fresh-water lakes dammed up by glaciers is the one which best satisfies you : and that you do not think Nicol's objections valid. I hope we shall have a paper from you on the subject. What I do not understand on any of the theories, and have never seen explained, is why this curious phenomenon is confined to one locality ? why it is not repeated in various other Scottish glens ? But, I suppose, the answer to this question depends on pecuUarities of physical geo- graphy, readily understood by those who intimately know the locahty and not otherwise. I was much pleased also to hear of Leonard's observations on the lochs in the Clova district. He is getting a most capital training in geology, and will, I have no doubt, distinguish himself. It must be a great pleasure to you to have the company of such an interesting pupil, and an immense advantage to him. With much love to dear Mary, believe me ever, Yours affectionately, Charles J. F. Bunbury. October 1st. The Arthur Herveys called, to bring us the great and exciting news that he (Lord Arthur) is to be Bishop of Bath and Wells. He ^showed me LORD ARTHUR HERVEY 255 the letter which Mr. Gladstone had written to him, making the proposal; a letter very gracefully and kindly expressed, and very honourable to the writer. It is very agitating intelligence ; I cannot help a great conflict of feeling. I rejoice most sincerely in the prosperity of our dear friends, for whom it is a delightful piece of good fortune : and I rejoice too in so admirable an appointment for the sake of the Church and the public. I do not believe that a better choice could possibly have been made. But on the other hand, to us it will be a terrible loss, an irre- parable loss ; no other man who is or is likely to be our neighbour can ever supply to me, in any degree, the place of Arthur Hervey. There are so very few men who are thoroughly congenial to me, that the removal of one of those few to a distance is a most heavy loss. And, indeed, though there are still two or three other agreeable women in our neighbour- hood, they cannot compensate for the blank which the departure of Lady Arthur and her charming girls will leave. In a public view too, Arthur Hervey's removal will be an incalculable loss to this part of the country. Tuesday, October 12th, We went (a large party) to the Bury Athenaeum, to hear Arthur Hervey's lecture on " Welhngton and Waterloo : " the last inaugural lecture that he will give at Bury I In- teresting in itself, but much more interesting from the circumstances. The concluding part, in which he took his farewell of the institution which has depended so entirely upon him, was very touching. I feel more and more how great a misfortune the departure of the Arthur Herveys will be to us. But I must try to think more of their gain than of our loss. 256 BRITISH ASSOCIATION To Mes. Lyell. Barton, November 24!th, 1869. My dear Katharine, We spent two very pleasant days (from Thursday evening to Saturday noon) last week with the Arthur Herveys ; it is delightful to see them in their own home, such a pattern of a good and happy family. We met them again at dinner yesterday, at Hardwick, and I prize every opportunity of seeing something of them before they leave us, the more as the time is running short, for they have fixed their departure, 1 beheve, for the 14th of December. Lord John Hervey will probably succeed his uncle as president of the Bury Athenaeum, and is, I should think, a very fit man for it. 1 grieve very much for the iUness of the Arch- bishop,^ and very much fear he will not recover : though indeed the report this morning (25th) is a shade better ; and while there is hfe there is hope. His death would be a most dreadful loss to the Church and to the country, an irreparable loss : I do not know of anyone (who is at aU of a standing to justify the choice in the eyes of the pubhc) who could even moderately well supply his place. Per- sonally too, he would be sadly missed ; I have not, myself, known him at all intimately, but I have the impression of his being a very loveable, as well as estimable man. Fanny, of course, feels more than T can, and so will you, on account of the warm feel- ing that always subsisted between him and Mr. Horner. I rejoice in the news of Dr. Livingstone, and I now really hope to hear of his safe arrival in England, with conclusive information as to the con- nection between the great African lakes, and the real head waters of the Nile. How delightful for Sir Roderick Murchison I We are going this even- ' Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury. ICKWORTH 257 ing to an amateur concert at the Athen£Bum ; a sort of farewell of the Herveys to Bury, and therefore very interesting to me. I hope your Geographical Handbook of Ferns is making good progress ; I was very glad to see it ad- vertised. I have read nothing very striking in the way of natural history since Bentham's address. I go on with the catalogue of my herbarium, and have been arranging my Cape Geraniaceas, with the help of Harvey's Flora, which is remarkably clear and satisfactory. With much love to Harry and Rosa- mond and your boys. Believe me ever your affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. Friday, November 26th. Grieved by the news of the death of that charming person, Pamela Lady Campbell. She was a kind, warm-hearted, excellent woman, and one of the most agreeable I ever knew. I have not indeed seen her very often, s^nce 1836, when I was at Dublin with Edward, and we were almost domesticated in her house at Drumcondra: but the few times that Fanny and I had had oppor- tunities of meeting her of late years, she had shown a very cordial feeling towards us. We are both very fond of her son, Sir Edward. Monday, December ISth. We went to spend the afternoon at Ickworth, a farewell visit to our dear Arthur Herveys. They, that is, the Bishop and Lady Arthur — are to leave their home on the 15th, and on the 21st he will be consecrated as Bishop, and will cease to be Rector of Ickworth. The girls will remain at Ickworth till the 20th. There was a melancholy pleasure in talking with them for the last time in that old home where we have passed so many delightful hours with them. I could not half express what I felt. 1 think they also felt much at parting with us. To them indeed, of course, the ir. — s 258 BRITISH ASSOCIATION wrench is much greater ; not a separation merely from one family of friends, but from the home of their lives, with all its associations. I ought to feel more gratitude for having enjoyed for many years the blessings of their society and friendship, than sorrow for the present separation : — " 'Tis better to have lov'd and lost, Than never to have lov'd at all." And the loss is, I trust, not total. Wednesday, December 29tk. I have lately begun to examine and put in order the MSS. which my father left (in a more or less fragmentary state), relating to military history ; beginning with the hfe of Sir John Hawkwood, about which he had taken much pains, and of which the MS., though not finished or corrected, admits, I think, of being put into a presentable shape. I think that with the pieces intended for his Itahan mihtary history, and some extracts from his common-place books con- nected with the same subject, I may make up a volume to be printed for private circulation, as a supplement or sequel to the Memoir which I printed last year. Saturday, January 8th. Charles and Mary speak with delight of their tour in the North-western part of Yorkshire and in Scotland last Autumn, and especially of the beauty of the scenery. Assynt in Sutherlandshire : the grandeur of the forms of the mountains and the beauty of the mingled colouring of heath, birch and fern (in the autumnal yellow), and rocks in the foregrounds. With respect to the parallel roads of Glen Roy which he examined very particularly, Lyell says he is convinced that the true theory of these terraces is, that they were the beaches of mountain-lakes which were dammed up by great glaciers descending from the mountains : in the same way as the Marjelen lake in Switzerland, GLEN ROY 259 described in the last edition of his " Principles." The only other theory, he thinks, which has even any plausi- bility, is the marine one — that the roads are ancient sea-margins formed when the country rose pro- gressively out of the sea, which had filled Glen Roy and the glens connected with it. I asked for an ex- planation of the fact, that these phenomena are so rare and local, not occurring (so far as I understand), anywhere else in Scotland : Lyell rephed that glacier- lakes are themselves rare and local phenomena. This explanation is not applicable to the marine theory, and therefore seems to afford an argument in favour of the other. CHAPTER XXXVII PLANTS AND ANIMALS Sunday, January 9th, 1870. I walked with Charles Lyell, Rosamond and Arthur to see the family trees. Charles Lyell told me of a curious discovery of fossil seeds in Scotland. In lately sinking for coal in Ayrshire, they passed first through a considerable thickness of boulder clay (what the Scotch call " till,") and then through a bed of a sort of peat or peaty mud, lying between this clay and the coal formation. The curator of the Glasgow museum took away some of this peat, washed it, and found in it a quantity of seeds, which proved to be those of water lily, potamageton and other freshwater plants of the existing flora. He then thought of examining some peaty mud of similar appearance, which adhered to some tusks of Elephas primigenius and antlers of reindeer, that had long been in the museum and were beheved to have been found in the same district. On washing this mud also, he discovered in it some seeds of the same kinds. Remains of elephants, LyeU says, are very rare in the quarternary deposits of Scotland. Lyell thinks that the great rarity of ele- phant remains in Scotland may be owing to the enormous mantle of continental ice which covered that country in the glacial age (as Greenland is covered now), and which may have ground away and removed the pre-existing elephant beds. Monday, January 10th. Charles Lyell tells me that the great question now agitating the United States, is that between the advocates and the 260 PAPER CURRENCY IN AMERICA 261 opponents of a return to a metallic currency, very much the same question which was so muqh disputed in this country for some years after the great war, in which Francis Horner took an important part ; the grounds too on which it is urged are much the same as on that occasion, and ignorance of the principles of political economy is very generally shown now in America, as it was then in Britain. But the strongest argument of the advocates of paper currency, and a better one than any which the same party with us had, is that the population and capital of the country are increasing at such a rate, that the real amount of wealth will in a few years come up to the fictitious amount represented by the paper. It is like (as LyeU says) to the case of a suit of clothes made too large for a boy who is growing fast, he is sure to grow up to them. Already indeed, through the operation of this cause, the difference in value between the paper and the metallic currency has been considerably diminished. It is in foreign commerce, LyeU says, that the injurious effect of the depreciated currency is chiefly felt. The internal commerce of the States is enormous, and in this the €vil of the depreciation is little felt. Thus the paper currency to a certain extent acts in effect as a protection against foreign merchandise: and for this reason the Massachusetts people, though the most enhghtened in the States, uphold the paper money system. It is remarkable, LyeU says, that CaUfornia, alone of all the States of the American Union, kept its metalhc currency all through the war and never adopted the paper money system. Thursday, January IStk. Alfred Newton said to- day, that he has observed birds not to be so constant as is commonly supposed in the choice of places for their nests, and to be often influenced by circum- stances. For instance, in Lapland he observed numerous nests of the Peregrine Falcon on low sallow bushes, hardly a yard high, in the midst of 262 PLANTS AND ANIMALS extensive marshes, where the birds find abundance of food : and in so unpeopled a country they are exposed to very little danger from man. In Britain, and in Europe generally, the Peregrine Falcon nests always amidst lofty and precipitous rocks, especially sea-chfFs. The Golden Eagle again, in Britain, makes its nest always on lofty crags: — in Turkey, often on low trees, so that a friend of his in that country actually took an egg out of an Eagle's nest without dismounting from his horse. Newton does not think that the Golden Eagle is in present danger of extinction in Scotland. The great landowners, especially owners of deer forests, take some pains to preserve it, particularly to preserve its nests, and he thinks that the number of the species, in Scotland, have rather increased than diminished of late years. The Sea Eagle, he thinks, is more exposed to persecution. January 15th. 1 had a pleasant walk with Edward Campbell. He thinks Montague MacMurdo the ablest military man in this country, and the one, who, if we were engaged in a serious war, would soon rise to the head. This is exactly my opinion also. Campbell showed me an interesting series of photo- graphs of buildings and scenery in India, particularly at Delhi and Agra. Among them were two views of a famous wood of Deodars near Simlah, very striking; the trees so different in form and habit of growth from Deodars as we know them in cultivation, that one could not have guessed them to be the same kind ; doubtless from having grown closely, and being thus drawn up, they have immensely tall, straight, mast-like trunks, and branches comparatively few and short ; in fact, one would take them for Scotch firs rather than Deodars. Wednesday, March 16th. Received a very inter- esting letter fi-om Charles Kingsley concerning his late visit to the West Indies. He says, inter alia: — " I have seen more than my wildest dreams could KINGSLEY IN THE WEST INDIES 263 have anticipated. But I have done much less. . . . Of the wonder of the whole place I will not attempt to write. — I need not to you, who know the forests of Brazil. I have to look at times at my specimens to assure myself it is not all a dream. But in the wonderful improvement in my health, and in the renewed youth of my mind, I feel very fair proof that — " I, too, on honey-dew have fed. And ate the fruits of Paradise." London, May 18th, 1870. Went with Fanny, early (10 to 11), to the Royal Academy, and saw the pictures pleasantly. Of course in an hour one could only pick out a few. Charles LyeU's portrait by Dickenson is capital. Lady Bristol, by Graves, very pretty, and a fairly good Ukeness. Charles Lyell told me an anecdote of the Falkland Island Seal in the Zoological Gardens: a photogi-aph was taken of it, and the keeper took a good deal of trouble to get the animal into the right position. Ever since, whenever the creature sees a photo- grapher passing near with his apparatus, it shuffles to the spot where it was placed to be photographed, and poses itself properly. Charles Lyell teUs me that an important geological discovery has lately been made in the Isle of Arran, a classic ground of geology: a discovery of numerous trunks of Sigillaria, upright (that is at right angles to the stratum on which they are based) with their roots preserved, and evidently standing as they grew, and buried in a bed of volcanic ash. And not merely one, but two or three deposits of such trees have been found, aU rooted in their original soil, buried in volcanic ashes, and finally tilted up at a right angle. They are almost counterparts of those buried trees which LyeU described in Nova Scotia. And these are new discoveries, it seems, in the Isle of Arran, one of the districts longest known to geologists, and oftenest explored by them. 264 PLANTS AND ANIMALS Met Joseph Hooker at the Athenaeum, He said that the exotic trees and shrubs at Kew have suffered terribly from this last winter, though he does not think that anything of importance is absolutely killed. The Sequoia sempervirens at Kew, as well as with us, has been very severely cut and browned by the winter. Hooker and I agreed that the greatest wonder and puzzle in the natural sciences, in the present state of our knowledge, is the former existence (which seems indubitable) of a varied and luxuriant vegetation in the Polar regions. He is now employed in describing the Nepentheae and Rafflesiaceag for De Candolle's Prodomus, He has been working at the Rubiaceae for his own, and Bentham's Genera Plantarum, and he tells me that he finds an immense number of untenable genera among them : — ^genera originating in too absolute a reUance on special characters without regard to natural grouping. Also that dimorphism of flowers appears to be very common in that family, and has misled many botanists as to the hmits of genera and species, Friday, June 17th. We went with Kate Hervey, Lady Campbell and her daughter Annie to the British Museum, and spent some hours there. We met Professor Owen, who looks much aged. He pointed out to us the enormously large eggs of an extinct bird, the ^pyornis, from Madagascar : these he supposes may have been the Rok's eggs of the Arabian Nights, as the Arabians, by their commerce in the Indian seas, may have received vague reports of these eggs, and have imagined a bird in propor- tion to them. The real ^pyornis, however, seems (as 1 understood him) to have been wingless, or nearly so, and utterly unhke the Raptorical birds. He pointed out also the skeleton (one nearly com- plete) of the Moa, or Dinornis of New Zealand, which had legs of enormous size and strength, apparently out of all proportion to the rest of its FRANCO-GERMAN WAR 265 frame. He spoke of the various wingless, or neariy wingless birds, and their remarkable distribution : — the Moa confined to New Zealand, the ^Epyornis to Madagascar, the Dodo to Mauritius, the "Solitaire" to the island of Rodrigue, the Cassowary to the Moluccas, and so forth. It was very interesting and pleasant in this visit to the Museum, to see Annie Campbell's eager and intelligent curiositj^ her ardour to learn all she could, her attention to all she saw and heard. She is just eleven years old, a charming child, one of the cleverest I know, August 27 th. The particulars of the war, and especially of the great battles near Metz, which are now given in the newspapers, are terribly interest- ing. Judging from these accounts, they must have been some of the most sanguinary battles in modern times. The Prussians themselves estimate their own loss in killed and wounded since the beginning of the campaign, at fully 50,000 ; and it is probable that the French has not been much less. What a weight of guilt rests on the souls of the men who caused the war I And it is by no means over yet ; for the French, in spite of aU their disasters, seem thoroughly resolute, and determined even to stand a siege of Paris, rather than submit to a humiliating peace. September 2nd. Yesterday I received a most in- teresting and remarkable letter from Charles Kings- ley. He says, speaking of the War : — " I confess to you that were I a German, I should feel it my duty to my country to send my last son, my last shilling, and after all, my own self, to the war, to get that done which must be done, and done so that it shall never need doing again. I trust that I should be able to put vengeance out of my heart ; to forget all that Germany has suffered, for 200 years past, from that vain, greedy, restless, wicked nation ; — all even which she suffered — women as well as men — in the late French war; (he seems to mean the 266 PLANTS AND ANIMALS great war in the first Napoleon's time) : — though the Germans do not forget it, and some of them ought not. But the average German has a right to say : ' Property, life, freedom, have been insecure in Ger- many for 200 years, because she has been divided. The French kings have always tried to keep her divided, that they might make her the puppet of their ambition. Since the French Revolution, the French people {all of them who think and act, viz., the army and the edu- cated classes), have been doing the same. They shall do so no longer. We will make it impossible for her to interfere in the internal affairs of Germany. We will make it an offence on her part — after Alfred de Musset's brutal song — to mention the very name of the Rhine.'' As for the present war, it was inevit- able, soon or late. The French longed for it. They wanted to revenge 1813-1815; ignoring the fact that Germany was then avenging — and very gently — 1807. Bunsen used to say to me — I have seen the tears in his eyes as he said it — that the war must come, that he only prayed that it might not come till Germany was prepared, and had recovered from the catastrophe of the great French war. It has come, and Germany is prepared — and 1 would that the good old man were alive, to see the battle of Armageddon, as he called it, fought, not as he feared, on German but on French soil. " As for this being a dynastic war, as certain foohsh working men are saying, who have got still in their heads, the worn-out theory that only kings ever go to war — it is untrue. It is not dynastic on the part of Germany. It is the rising of a people from the highest to the lowest, who are determined to be a people, in a deeper sense than any republican demo- crat French or English, ever understood that word. It is not dynastic on the part of France." September 5th. The events which have crowded upon us in the last few days are perfectly astoimd- ing. The succession of desperate battles near Sedan, REVOLUTION IN PARIS 267 the total defeat and capitulation of Macmahon's army, the surrender of the Emperor ; and now as it seems, a revolution in Paris (though our information about this is still incomplete), one can hardly per- suade one's self that all these things are real. Many wonderful things have happened in my time, but nothing so wonderful, I think, has happened since 1815, as this collapse of the second French Empire, and of the power of France. And what is to follow remains still quite in the dark. WiU peace be the consequence ? not yet, I fear ; for the French after their losses, appear to be more exasperated than de- pressed, and not yet at all inclined to submit. Nor do the Germans seem hkely to be moderate or for- bearing in their use of victory. September 6th. There has indeed been a revolu- tion at Paris, the Emperor deposed, a RepubUc proclaimed, and a Provisional Government appointed ; and all without struggle, violence or bloodshed. Truly these are wonderful times. 1 heartily rejoice to read that the Empress and Prince Imperial are safe out of France. September 8th. Received another interesting letter from Kingsley. He says : — " Since Waterloo, there has been no such event in Europe. I await with awe the Parisian news of the next few days, As for the Emperor: while others were bowing down to him, I never shrank, even to the highest personages, in expressing my utter contempt of him and his pohcy. It is now judged, and he with it, by fact, which is 'the voice of God revealed in things,' as Bacon says. And I, at least, instead of joining the crowd of curs, who worry where they lately fawned, shall never more say a harsh word against him. Let the condemned die in peace, if possible : and he will not, I hear, live many months, perhaps not many days. Why should he wish to hve ? This very surrender may be the not undignified fare- well to Ufe of one who knows himself at his last." 268 PLANTS AND ANIMALS To Mes. Lyell. 48, Eaton Place, S.W., September 9th, 1870. My dear Katharine, Very many thanks for your delightful letter from Ambleside, which has interested me very much. I had been impatient to hear from you, and am dehghted that you have been spending your time so agreeably. I well remember that beautiful and charming country, and can well imagine your enjoy- ment of it, especially as you have had the advantage of fine weather, which is not very usual there. I quite enter into your feehng of regret at not being able to chmb the hills as your children can do : the young have a great advantage there ; I daresay that if I were of the party, I should find that I could not do what I could in '44 : yet I hope to get a Uttle into practice of walking among the Mendip hills. I found about Ambleside in '44, I remember, all the plants you mention except the Lobelia — the Mecon- opsis I found on the shore of the lake near Bowness, and HymenophyUum Wilsoni about the pretty waterfall called StockgiU Force, together with Bartramia Halleriana. I well remember the beauti- ful profusion of Cryptogramme crispa on the mountains, and particularly in the pass between Ambleside and Keswick. You do not mention whether you have got any ferns altogether new (as British species) to your collection : but this, indeed, is hardly Ukely. What a dehghtful time your children must have had in the Lake country. What wonderful times we live in I ' What a rapid succession of strange and terrible events in the last six weeks, and what may yet be to come, in the next month or week, is beyond anyone's power to calculate. I am glad your good old aunt has (though late) made up her mind to escape from Paris, and not to stand the risk of a siege. Fanny has just had a letter ' The Franco-German War. VISIT TO WELLS 269 from her from Boulogne, where she has safely arrived, and is waiting for calm weather to cross over. I, yesterday, saw poor M. and Madame de Tourgueneff : both, as was to be expected, very unhappy and full of anxiety about the fate of France and of Paris in particular. I have had two very interesting letters from Kingsley, the first very long and very eloquent. He is vehemently German, and exults in the overthrow of France. As to the French Revolution (the fourth since I have been grown up), I rather wish than hope or expect, that the experiment of a Republic may be really and permanently successful, and may show to other nations the example of a popular government compatible with order, with respect for law and authority, and with the security of property. With- out these, liberty is merely the hcense to do evil. I hope the Germans will not retain Strasbourg, but only dismantle its fortifications, and those of other French towns within a certain distance of the frontier. If they mean to keep it, it is a strange proceeding to begin by destrojdng it, by so barbarous a measure as a bombardment. I am very sorry for Strasbourg — sorry for the inhabitants and sorry for the destruction of the valuable Museum and Library, as well as for the damage to the Cathedral. Believe me ever your affectionate brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. September 10th. Down to Wells, to visit our dear Arthur Herveys. They at present occupy the Deanery, as the Palace is new furnishing and fitting up. They took us to see the Palace, which is a grand and venerable old building, in character somewhat intermediate between a feudal castle and an ecclesi- astical residence. The gardens beautiful ; we saw them last year, and I think I noted in my journal at that time the broad moat which encloses them, and 270 PLANTS AND ANIMALS the noble remains of the old banqueting hall. Some fine exotic trees : in particular, a superb Tuhp tree, an immense Acacia, a very large black Walnut, and the largest tree I have seen of the weeping large- leaved Elm. The Tuhp tree, 10 ft. round at height of 3 ft. ; the Ailantus (which I took at first for a black Walnut), 8 ft. 2 in. ; a Salisburia (one of the finest and tallest I have seen) about 4 ft. Sunday, Septembe?' 11th. At Wells. The Deanery is an old house. The room assigned to me as a dress- ing-room is known as King Henry VII.'s room, and according to tradition was once occupied by him. The garden front of the Deanery in particular, is venerable and tine, very much like some fine old college at Oxford or Cambridge ; the garden also quite in character, with velvet turf, noble trees, and old walls covered with creepers. September 14th. Lord Chelmsford's dispatch concerning the disaster at Isandula has at last arrived and been published ; but it does not yet seem to make the 343 344 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS affair quite clear ; in fact, he himself says that the blow appears to him almost incomprehensible. I am afraid it must have been owing to rashness, that the unfortunate 24th left their camp to attack or to pursue the enemy, and were surrounded by their overwhelming numbers. It will not be the first time that our troops have suffered disasters owing to a rash contempt of barbarous or savage enemies ; it is said too, that on this occasion they neglected to fortify their camp, as they might easily have done with waggons fastened together after the manner of the Boers. Edward Campbell thinks it strange that Lord Chelmsford did not attend to the fortifying of this camp before he advanced with the other column. The successful defence of the position at Rorke's Drift, by two officers and a mere handful of soldiers, against a great mass of Zulus, is very fine, and redeems the honour of our army. The names of the two officers — Chard and Bromhead — ought never to be forgotten. March 22nd. I am very sorry for Sir Bartle Frere. I have a great liking, and a great respect for him, and I feel sad that so late in his life, after so long and so honourable a career, he should have come to incur so much blame and reproach. I have no doubt that in all this unhappy Zulu business, he has acted strictly according to what he thought right ; and I am quite aware that his position was a very difficult one. In the last dispatches which passed between him and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach (I judge from those portions of the correspondence which have just been published in The Times), he has expounded his own views with great clearness and ability ; but I cannot help coming to the conclusion that Sir Michael is in the right. Sir Bartle appears to me to have rushed into the war hastily, and with unwise precipitation, contrary to the clearly-expressed opinion, and almost to the instructions of his Government. He is now in a very disagreeable predicament, for the opposition are bitter MISS NORTH IN INDIA 345 against him, and it seems that the Government will make but a lukewarm defence. April 7th. Katharine lent us, yesterday, a corre- spondence (printed, but I think not yet published), between Sir Bartle Frere and Bishop Colenso, relating to the causes and origin of the Zulu war. They are very civil to each other, but are greatly at variance in their opinions on the subject — the Bishop urging strong arguments against Sir Bartle 's Ultimatum, and particularly as to his treatment of the Zulus on the question of the disputed territory. In a private letter to one of his own family, written after the declaration of hostilities, he calls the war an unjust and uji- necessary one. The Bishop may be partial — probably is ; but at any rate he knows the people much better than Sir Bartle can. I repeat I am sorry for Sir Bartle Frere ; personally I like him much, and I have no doubt he is a good man as well as a very able one, but I am afraid the Bishop is right as to the war. June 10th. Went to luncheon with Miss North, and to see part of her collection of paintings done in India. Those she has now brought home (from Con- tinental India) are to some extent in a different style from the previous ones, at least belonging to a dif- ferent class of subjects — comparatively few botanical; the greater part views of scenery and buildings in various parts of India. Many of the scenes are in Rajpootana, a country little visited by Europeans, and little known to them, as Miss North said ; some of these are very interesting, particularly those of Odipore and its beautiful lake. Some of those in the Himalaya, too, are very grand. There are fine portraits and groups of Deodars and of Abies Smithiana. Miss North's travels in India must have been very extensive : for she has views in the Eastern and the Western Hima- laya, in the North- Western Provinces, at Delhi and Agra, at Bombay, on the Neilgherries, in Malabar, and in Tanjore. Of the botanical subjects here, one 346 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS of those which struck me most was the Lager- stroemia, a magnificent flowery tree of which I had often read, but had only a very poor idea : and it was here with its curious fruit as well as its beautiful flowers. One painting with which I was especially struck and delighted, was a view of a Fern-jungle near Darjeeling: the character of the Tree-Ferns rendered with marvellous truth and beauty. June 20th. There is a piece of news in this morn- ing's papers calculated to make one thoughtful and sad. The Prince Imperial — the son of Napoleon III. — has been killed by an ambuscade of Zulus, in this wretched war. I grieve for his poor mother, so de- voted to him, and now so desolate. He seems to have been a fine and interesting young man, and there is something solemnly impressive in the thought of a career so uncertain in its future, yet so likely to be eventful and important, now so suddenly cut short. He was only in his twenty-fourth year. It is curious that the only child of the First Emperor Napoleon, and now the only child of the Second Emperor Napoleon, should both have died in early youth. June 25th. At the dinner of Lord Talbot de Malahide's, met Mr. Ball, the botanist, and had some talk with him about Morocco. He confirmed what I had gathered from his and Hooker's book, that they did not find in that country any of the remark- able plants characteristic of the Canaries and Madeira; in particular, none of the gigantic laurels which are such striking features in the vegetation of those islands. July 5th. A visit from my old friend John Carrick Moore, and very pleasant talk. He spent the last winter in Egypt, and his health was very much benefited by the warm, dry climate. He went up the Nile as far as the second cataract. He spoke of the curious Doum Palm, which is peculiar to the Upper Nile, south of a particular degree of latitude ; THE WALLS OF TARRAGONA 347 the singular regularity with which its stem bifur- cates ; the flesh of its fruit looking like gingerbread, and tasting also like bad stale gingerbread. The Date Palm in the lower parts of Egypt having always a single and solitary stem ; but in the more southerly and hotter parts, growing usually in tufts, several stems of various size growing apparently from one root. The granite quarries of Upper Egypt or Nubia, unfinished columns and statues remaining where they were begun, not yet separated from the solid rock ; some cracked across, probably by earthquake, probable effects of earthquakes visible also in the temples of Thebes. Carrick Moore has given me several of the fruits of the Doum Palm. July 11th. Lord Talbot de Malahide told Fanny, that the walls of the City of Tarragona, in Spain, exhibit in their construction the styles of four different ages and nations — as it were four different formations (geologically speaking) of building. The lowest and oldest parts of them are of what is sup- posed to be Basque or Iberian work ; the next of Roman building ; the following, Moorish ; and the newest, Spanish, though these also are very old. In the great siege of Tarragona by Suchet (Lord Talbot said) the French cut the aqueduct by which the city was supplied with water from the hills ; but the Spaniards succeeded in discovering an ancient well, situated in the centre of the town, which had been covered up, and over which an amphitheatre had been built. July ISth. Dining yesterday with Katharine, we met Sir Joseph Hooker, also Sir Henry Barkly, who was formerly Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, is a zealous botanist, and was a correspondent of Sir WiUiam Hooker. He is a pleasant-looking and pleasant-mannered man, evidently very intelligent and observant. He mentioned what was quite new to me, that the Proteas, which disappear on the eastern frontier of the old Cape colony, and had 348 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS been supposed not to range further in that direction, do in fact re-appear in Natal, where there are table- topped mountains of similar character to those of the Cape. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask whether they were of similar mineral character. I remarked to Joseph Hooker, that Cape Proteacese have now almost entirely disappeared from Enghsh gardens, though in the early times of the Botanical Magazine, many seem to have been in cultivation. He agreed with me, and said that they had disappeared even from Kew, where he is now doing his utmost to re- introduce them. The reason (he said) why they can so seldom be kept alive in modern gardens is, that they are overwatered ; the lavish and indiscriminate way in which watering is practised by modern gardeners is destructive to these and to many other plants of the Cape and of AustraKa. The supply of water to gardens in general being greater and more easy than in old times, gardeners (and especially garden lads), get into the habit of being lavish of it : and much of the care of modern gardeners is be- stowed on ferns and orchids and tropical plants, which require much water : still more on parterres and ribbon-beds and the like. Hooker remarks on the deterioration of gardening skiU in recent times — the passion for parterres and ribbon-beds, which re- quire a knowledge of only a (comparatively) few kinds of plants, and the prevalence of villa-gardening — leading altogether to the bringing forward of a great multitude of gardeners of very mediocre skill. Neglect of study by young gardeners. Hooker says that the iEsculus (or Pavia) Indica, of which I gave young plants as well as seeds to Kew, does not thrive there : the soil is too poor for it. The soil of Kew is "wretched," he says. At Nynehead (near Taunton), on the other hand, the Indian horse-chest- nut of which we gave a seedhng plant to Mr. Sanford, is growing superbly. August 27th. Sir Rowland Hill, one of the most BAD NEWS FROM CAUBUL 349 memorable men of our time, died yesterday. Few men have done more important service to his country, perhaps to mankind, than the author of the Penny Postage. And this I say in spite of the abominable nuisances which that postage has brought on us in the shape of circulars, advertisements, reports and begging letters. September 8th. Terrible news from Caubul. There seems no doubt that the brave Cavagnari and all his staff and escort have been massacred ; there is hardly a hope of their escape. So now we are in for another Afghan war ; probably a much more severe and bitter one, lasting longer, and involving a much greater expenditure of precious lives as well as of money. The resemblance to the old disaster of Burnes and MacNaughten is striking. It is true that our acquisition of the mountain barrier, with its passes, in the late war, has given us a better base of operations, and enabled us to start on our new invasion within a much less distance of Caubul, and with fewer difficulties to overcome. But still I cannot help thinking that we should be in a better position if we had left Shere Ali alone, and not interfered with so wild, lawless, and desperate people as the Afghans. October 10th. Lord Charles Hervey came to us on the 3rd, and went away yesterday ; his visit was very pleasant to us. He and I harmonize completely in our love of natural history, especially of botany, and I had many long and pleasant talks with him on these subjects. His hearty love and enjoy- ment of nature is delightful. He has been a con- siderable traveller too, having been sent by the doctors to one distant country after another ; so that he has seen the West Indies, Rio de Janeiro, California, and a good deal of North America, the Sandwich Islands, Cape of Good Hope, Australia, and perhaps other countries ; and wherever he went, he has observed and profited well by what he saw. 350 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS December 8th. I see in The Times the announce- ment of the death of Sir William Boxall, at the age of 80. We have known him a long time, and from time to time have seen much of him ; especially in the spring of '53, w^hen he and we vfere staying at Ventnor, and used to meet almost every day ; and again in '56, w^hen I sat to him for my picture. He vi^as always very friendly and cordial with us. He was, I believe, a very good man, very kind and benevolent ; a very agreeable man also, very well informed, and with his memory fully stored with anecdote. He was always (since I have known him) a great invalid, and not a little of a hypochondriac ; and (when we had come to know him well) it used to be rather amusing to hear his dismal, desponding accounts of himself, and to observe how he rose out of that state of gloom as he went on talking. February 2Mh, 1880. Mr. Clements Markham showed us a very curious old map of the year 1600, seemingly the very one which Shakespeare speaks of (in Twelfth Night) as "the new map with the augmentation of the Indies ; " it is crossed over with an inconceivable number of lines in every possible direction, giving it a very strange appear- ance. It was copied (if 1 rightly understand) from a Dutch map which was published the year be- fore, immediately after the Northern discovery of Barents. A vast number of names of places are marked in it (in very minute characters), but all on the coasts, none inland, showing that it was in- tended chiefly for the use of seamen. The outlines of Africa and South America, and of the eastern coast of North America are drawn with approximate correctness ; and a little bit of Australia is introduced (but I think not named). Mr. Markham said that this curious map (of 1600) was the first Enghsh one constructed on the principle called " Mercator's Pro- jection ;" Wright, by whom this map was drawn, had studied under Mercator. Mr. Markham explained to CURIOUS OLD MAP 351 me what I had not understood before, as to the voyage of the Tega, under Professor Nordenskiold ;— that its importance consisted not in its having made any new discoveries on a large scale ; the general outline of the north-eastern extremity of Asia had been seen and mapped from the land side by Russian explorers, especially by Wrangel, several years ago ; but no ship had reached or passed through Behring's Straits from the west, and they were supposed to be perpetually blocked up by ice. March \Uh. A pleasant party here from the 9th to yesterday ; Miss North, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchings, Mr. Walrond, Agnes Wilson ; Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson Davie, and Mr. Bowyer. Miss North is an extra- ordinary person. Though by no means young, she is now just about to start for Sarawak, Borneo, to spend some considerable time there, to continue and complete, as far as she can, her series of pictures of Malayan flowers and fruit ; thence to go on to the Australian Colonies and New Zealand, and to visit the Cape on her way back. She travels quite alone, without even a maid ; goes into the wildest parts of the most unhealthy and dangerous countries — and seems equally free from fear and from harm. Yet there is nothing bold, masculine or eccentric, either in her appearance or manners ; on the contrary she is very quiet, gentle, and unassuming— not a great talker, though willing to communicate her knowledge ; in short, a very pleasant person as well as a very re- markable one. April IQth. I was sorry to see in the newspaper the other day, the death of Professor Schimper, of Strasbourg. He was a very eminent botanist, and his works, both on Mosses and on Fossil Plants, are of great value. I possess his " Synopsis Muscorum Europgeorum, " and " Traite de Paleontologie Vegetale," and study them very often : they are excellent. I made acquaintance with him when we were at Strasbourg, in 1848, and found him very kind 352 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS and courteous, and remarkably agreeable. He had very pleasing manners and a highly cultivated mind : had travelled extensively, zealously exploring, as a botanist, nearly every country of Europe, from the south of Spain to the extreme north of Lapland : and his conversation was both lively and rich in matter. M. Schimper, being an Alsacien, spoke both French and German, and told us that both were equally easy to him. He spoke French, indeed, evidently with perfect ease, and no doubt with perfect command of the language, but with a decided German accent. I understand that, after the war of 1870, he elected to be a German, and continued to live in Strasbourg. May 14sth. Most beautiful weather. I delight in the spring weather ; old as I am, I do not think that my enjoyment of nature is at all deadened. I feel the "vernal delight" keenly, — the beauty of the flowers, both in the gardens and in the fields, the brilliant freshness of the grass, the exquisite deUcacy and beautiful variety of the colours of the young leaves, the liveliness of the birds, the first notes of the cuckoo, the first sight of the swallow, all give me hearty enjoyment, and I feel very unwilling to change them for anjrthing that London can give. It is true that with all these pleasures of spring, comes now and then a feeling of longing regret, — " Sau- dades," as the Portuguese call it. — " I turn from all she brought to those she could not bring." But it is a chastened feeling, and the beauty of spring helps one to receive the hope which religion inspires. The Lilacs and Horse-chestnuts are in beautiful bloom, especially the large Horse-chestnut tree opposite the N.E. front of the house, which is our finest tree of kind and is always the first in leaf and in flower. The Laburnums are rather late. London, June 17th.. We dined with Katharine ; a very pleasant party. The Hookers, Mr. Bentham, Professor Hughes (the Cambridge Professor of Geology), Mr. and Mrs. Sellar, Miss Shirreff"; ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS 353 Arthur Lyell did the honours at his mother's table, and did it very well. Bentham, who is just 80 years old, is looking wonderfully weU, and is as steadily devoted to botany, and seems as clear-headed as ever. He works six hours every day in the Kew Herbarium. He told me that the last published part of the "Genera Plantarum" (his and Hooker's) concludes the Dicotyledons, and that he is now engaged on the ■Orchideas, which are very difficult; he thinks it probable that they may be the most numerous family of the Monocotyledons — the most numerous in genera if not in spedes. Mr. Hughes (who suc- ceeded Kingsley as president of the Chester Natural History Society) told Fanny that that society is flourishing, and that Kingsley's name is still held in great esteem and veneration at Chester, which I am much rejoiced at. July 5th. We went to the Zoological Gardens. The wonderful snake-eating snake, Ophiophagus Bungarus, which I was desirous to see, appeared lethargic, and showed nothing but its head and neck from under the blanket; Mr. Bartlett told us it had eaten a snake the day before, as an exhibition for the Siamese ambassador, and this made it lethargic. Its head and neck show clearly that it is not of the Viper tribe, but of that group (of which the Cobra Capello is the most noted example) which has the external characters of the harmless Colu- bridae, but at the same time venomous fangs. I could not see whether it had the power of inflating its neck like the Cobra ; it showed no inclination that way. The other serpentine novelty which I was curious to see, the Echis carinata, would not show. There are two Uvely specimens of my Old Cape acquaintance, the Naja (or Sepedon) hsemachates ; but they are of a nearly uniform dull, blackish colour, instead of prettily mottled like others 1 have seen. A Boa from Madagascar, very beautifully variegated. An enormous Spider from Bahia, even n.— 2 A 354 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS larger, I think, than any I saw in Brazil. The most amusing objects were the elephants bathing — rolling, and tumbling and splashing, evidently in great en- joyment. September Qth. Very good news from Afghanistan. Sir Frederick Roberts has shown himself a really great General, and has followed up a march of extraordinary energy and vigour by completely de- feating the enemy in their chosen position ; and what is still better, the victory has been gained without any very heavy loss on our side. I hope this may very soon lead to a peace, and to the withdrawal of our forces from that wretched country. We can now withdraw with honour. Neither of my nephews were engaged in the battle; George who has been seriously ill, is in the force on its way from Caubul to Pesha- wer ; William is in General Phayre's column, and will be excessively vexed at being too late for the fighting. October 1st. From the 22nd to the 27th of Sep- tember we stayed at Oxford, being the guests of Augustus and Rachel Vernon Harcourt, and we spent a delightful time. September 2Srd. Fanny went with the Vernon Harcourts to a party at Blenheim ; 1 spent the afternoon very agreeably in the Botanic Garden. Augustus Harcourt introduced me to Professor Lawson, who showed me every attention and kind- ness. The first and most interesting thing I saw was the herbarium of Dillenius, containing the very specimens figured and described in the "Historia Muscorum." There are portraits here of Dillenius (a fat round - faced man— not a clever face) ; of Linnaeus (given by himself) — Morrison and Bobart. Here also are all Sibthorp's collections ; the whole of Ferdinand Bauer's beautiful, original drawings for the "Flora Grseca," part of which Mr. Lawson showed me. September 24>th. The Vernon Harcourts took us THE BODLEIAN 365 first to the Bodleian. Immensely interesting — the very ideal, I think, of a great university library. There is something wonderfully solemn and im- pressive in the general effect of these antique galleries and chambers fiUed w^ith the accumulated learning of so many ages, and in which so many learned and wise men have studied. Dr. Cox, the librarian to whom the Vernon Harcourts introduced us, was extremely courteous, took us into his sanctum and showed us several very curious things. Above all, what I thought especially interesting, a number of rough, hastily scribbled notes — mere scraps of paper —which passed between Charles II. and Clarendon while at Council, and were preserved by the latter. These show a much bolder spirit, and much more blunt and peremptory in style than I should have expected from Clarendon ; they are decidedly honour- able to him. A letter (one might almost say a love- letter) from Charles I. to his wife, in April, 1645 (about two months before Naseby) ; the hand- writing small, deUcate, and beautiful, A MS. prayer-book of Margaret Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton (time of Henry VIII.), with portions of writing in it by several of her friends, as in a modern album ; and among these friends were Katharine Parr and Mary Brandon. Queen Elizabeth's hand- writing (of which we saw several specimens) is very beautiful. There are also a number of beautifully illuminated books. Over the Bodleian Library is a great gallery with many portraits. November 29th. We received the news of the death of our dear old friend Mr. Samuel Smith, at Embley near Romsey. He has lived to a great age — eighty -six years, I believe. He was a son of William Smith of Norwich, a famous Whig of the last generation. He married the sister of Mr. Nightingale, of Embly in Hants, and Lea Hurst in Derbyshire; and Mrs. Nightingale was Mr. Smith's sister. He and his family were old and constant 356 THE ZULU AND AFGHAN WARS friends of the Homers, and he always showed a cordial feeling towards Fanny, and to me for her sake. Mr. Smith has for some years been very infirm, so that one ought not to sorrow for his death ; but I remember with a melancholy pleasure, the delightful hours which I have formerly passed in his company. We visited him and Mrs, Smith at Embly, two years ago, in August, 1878, which was the only time I have ever seen that beautiful place ; but he was then very infirm, though his mind was perfectly clear. I gladly associate him rather with recollections of his former home. Combe Hurst, near Wimbledon, where we visited him often, and enjoyed at once that lovely spot and his delightful society. Delightful indeed he was in those days. I have seldom known any man more entirely to my taste. With a highly cultivated mind, and abundant knowledge both of men and books, he had a peculiar, unaffected suavity, a mild- ness relieved by a playful, delicate humour, which gave a remarkable charm to his conversation. Combe Hurst was just on the verge of Combe Wood; rather, indeed, a bit out of Combe Wood, enclosed and cultivated ; it stood high on the brow of the hill, looking in one direction across to Wimbledon Common; while on another side, the view ranged down a beautiful sloping lawn, fringed with flowering shrubs and flanked by woods, into a valley, and beyond to a succession of hill and dale extending far into the distance. The evergreens were luxuriant, the rhododendrons and azaleas most beautiful (for the soil exactly suited that family of plants), and from the flowery lawn one passed at once into a charming mixture of heath and wood, with fern and foxgloves flourishing under the oak trees. It was indeed a delicious spot. January 20th, 1881. The storm on the 18th was one of the most tremendous I ever remember. The fury of the wind was really terrific, and the appearance of the snow whirling and drifting in clouds before MR. SAMUEL SMITH 357 the gale which reduced it to dust, was most extra- ordinary. The storm seems to have been general almost all over Great Britain, and to have done immense damage, causing, I fear, great lost of life on our eastern coast. Here, there have been some narrow escapes. A fine, tall, young fir tree (of the variety Cephalonica) was blown down right across the road fi-om our west lodge to the house, falling just in front of the fly in which Katharine was coming from the station. All the three principal entrances to the park (Scott teUs me) were blocked up more or less by fallen trees. A huge old elm tree fell directly across the high road, opposite to the " Elms " farm, smashing the roof and upper story of one of the farm buildings. CHAPTER LXIV LAST YEARS February 6th, 1881. I see in the newspapers the announcement of the death of Thomas Carlyle. It had been expected for several days, and he seems to have departed by a gentle, gradual decay, without any positive iUness. He is a man who will have left a deep mark on his generation, and will not soon be forgotten. I do not think that his influence or his teaching was entirely good or wholesome ; by no means entirely ; the tendency of it is to an un- qualified worship of mere strength, of mere power and energy, which I think decidedly unwholesome, and indeed dangerous. But he was certainly a most sincere, zealous, honest -hearted man, and a very powerful writer. His " French Revolution " is one of the most impressive books I have ever read ; I cannot read it without a feeling of actual awe. The life of John Sterling is a very agreeable book — perhaps the most agreeable of Carlyle's writings, and very remarkable, because he has made so interesting a biography out of such slight materials. I have not seen Carlyle for very many years ; but for a time — about forty years ago, if I remember right — I had several opportunities of meeting him. It was when old Mr. and Mrs. BuUer, the father and mother of Charles BuUer, were living with their son Reginald at his parsonage at Troston, a few miles from this ; Carlyle visited them there, and stayed some time ; they brought him to see us at Barton, and I had a good deal of talk with him while walking 358 DEATH OF CARLYLE 359 about the grounds. I was very much impressed by the union of simplicity and solemnity in his manner and discourse ; and I remember thinking that the English (or rather Scotch) that he spoke, was much better than that which he wrote in his books. February 2?>th. News from South Africa more and more deplorable. Our troops again beaten by the Boers, with lamentable slaughter, and it is believed that Sir George CoUey himself has been killed. What a number of unhappy wives and parents will be in miserable suspense tiU the names of the killed and wounded are known 1 March 2nd. — The names of the killed and wounded officers in the disastrous fight on the " Majuba " mountain, or " Spitzkop," are now published in The Globe: and they rather relieve one's mind, for the killed or severely wounded are not so numerous as was at first supposed. Sir George Colley himself is indeed slain, and young Maude : but Major Hay and Commander RomiUy, who had been supposed dead, are returned as " slightly wounded," and one or two others who were missing seem to have re-appeared. It does not seem clear how the disaster happened — such a sudden reverse of fortune, for the troops seem to have been holding their ground successfully, and to have even been confident of victory, tiU the enemy made their final charge. I suppose that the Boers were very superior in number, that the position of our troops (though strong) was too extensive to be thoroughly occupied, and that the enemy broke in at some weak point. It is clear that the Boers fought splendidly, and that they are formidable enemies. It is lamentable that the blood of so many good and brave men, on both sides, should be shed in a useless war. It would be rash and wrong, before we know the circumstances more thoroughly, to blame poor Sir George Colley, or impute rashness to him, al- though the first look of the case may incline one to such a judgment. 360 LAST YEARS March 10th. Have just heard the sad news of the death of James Spedding, by a deplorable accident — run over by a cab in the street. I am very sorry, though I had seen hardly anything of him for many years past. But he was a man very well deserving of respect. My acquaintance with him began a long time ago, immediately after my entrance at Trinity College, Cambridge, in the October term of '29. He was my senior in academical age by two years, for he took his degree in '31, and I, if I had stayed on, could not have taken mine before '33 ; but in years he may not have been older than I. Even when an undergraduate he was very old-looking (singularly bald), and very grave and sedate in manner ; and I believe he was even then very studious, though he did not take high honours in the special studies of the place. After I left Cambridge, we did not often meet, and of late years communication between us has been very infrequent. Spedding's " Life of Bacon," and his edition of Bacon's works, have given him a high and permanent place in literature. April 20th. A telegraphic message to Bury, yesterday morning, brought us the news of Lord Beaconsfield's death. His constitution struggled for a longer time than might at his age have been ex- pected, against the disorder : and indeed it seems that the actual disorder had been overcome, and that he died of want of strength. Though I did not know him personally, I am very sorry for his death, and I think that the feeling of regret wUl be pretty general among candid and liberal-minded men, whatever they may think of his special political career. I cannot but admire a man who, under such dis- advantages and difficulties of race and position, and at first of personal prejudice, raised himself to the most commanding place in the State by sheer energy, determination, and genius. There have been many things in his political course which I have not approved : but I do not know of anything which DEATH OF BEACONSFIELD 361 should prevent one from feeling a true respect for him, both as a statesman and as a private man. To his political party the loss is enormous, and probably irreparable. The greatest and most remarkable achievement of his political life, I should suppose, was the re-creation of the Conservative party, after Peel had shattered it to pieces by the repeal of the Corn Laws, and the leading it and keeping it together under such discouraging circumstances. Neither the late Lord Derby, nor Lord Salisbury, nor Sir Stafford Northcote, I take it, could have accomplished this without Disraeh. To Mrs. Lyell. Barton, Bury St. Edmunds, May 6th, 1881. My dear Katharine, Very many thanks for your very agreeable letter from the Lizard. I had no notion that there was a hotel there ; it all looked so still and solitary in my time. I delight to hear of Cornwall, my re- membrance is still so vivid of my tour there in '41, and my visit to Sir Charles Lemon, which I always look back on with special pleasure. Though it is close upon forty years ago, my impression of Kynance Cove, and St. Michael's Mount, and the Land's End, is still as fresh and vivid as can be. It was I who went with Sir Charles Lemon to visit Mr. Fox, near Falmouth ; 1 remember it perfectly. It is curious that only two days ago I was talking with Miss Doyle about the Miss Sterlings, who are particular friends of hers, and now comes your letter with such a pleasant account of them and of their home. I am glad to hear of them again, as I have an agree- able remembrance of them (or rather of Julia, for I think I hardly knew the other sister), and of their father, though my acquaintance with him was only of three days. 362 LAST YEARS {May 7th.) Here also the weather has been most beautiful these two days — quite delicious ; and I have been fully feeling that "vernal delight" which I enjoy every year so strongly at this time whenever the season is propitious, and which I do not find at all spoiled by age. The profuse beauty of the spring flowers, both in the garden and the fields, the tender colouring of the young leaves, the songs of the birds, the revival of life all around ; these are pleasures which never pall upon me. It is true there comes every now and then, amidst all this beauty, the touch of melancholy remembrance, when we "turn from all she brought to those she could not bring," to those whom we so long to have again sharing our enjoyment. With much love to dear Rosamond, and to your- self, from both of us, believe me, Ever your loving brother, Charles J. F. Bunbxjuy. June nth. Miss Elliot says, that Mr. Froude is quite surprised at the anger which has been excited by the publication of " Carlyle's Reminiscences." He has accustomed his mind to such a subservience to Carlyle's, as not to conceive that any one could have a right to be displeased with what Carlyle approved. She feels sure, not only that Carlyle in- tended his "Reminiscences" to be published, but that they were, if not printed, at least completely prepared for publication, before his death. Miss Elliot remembers a dinner-party at which she met both Carlyle and Froude at the same time when there was much excitement about Governor Eyre and the negro insurrection in Jamaica. Carlyle, as was to be expected from him, spoke very strongly in favour of Eyre ; and upon her saying something for the cause of the negroes, he replied : — " It is of no use your trying to make those white whom God DEAN STANLEY 363 Almighty has made black." Dean Milman, who was present on the occasion, but (on account of his deafness) had not heard what Carlyle said, re- marked, on its being repeated to him, " that it would be unreasonable to object to white-washing, when those who had white - washed Henry VIII. and Frederick II. were at the table." July \^th. Dean Stanley died last night ; a very great loss and heavy misfortune to the public as well as to his private friends. I cannot say that I was ever intimately acquainted with him, or qualified to judge properly of what he was in private life ; but it is evident that he was loved as well as honoured by all who really knew him. As a leader of religious thought, and a writer on religious subjects, his death is a national and irreparable loss ; there is not likely to be any one in our time who can at all replace him. As a champion of liberal and enlightened views of religion, he was, I suppose, superior to anyone else in our time : less stern than Arnold, free from the occasional eccentricities of Kingsley, more intelligible than Maurice. His books — "The Memorials of Canterbury " and of " Westminster," " The Sinai and Palestine," "The Lectures on the Jewish Church," are quite delightful. July 22nd. Rose Kingsley, to whom I wrote the first news that the Dean's state was hopeless, writes thus of him : " I can scarcely believe it yet. To the Church, to the nation, to his innumerable friends, his death seems one of the greatest of possible losses, and when I think of that delightful afternoon at Kew, of our walk to the ' Lotus ' (to the house for tropical aquatics), where the Nelumbium was in flower ; of the extraordinary spirits and life which he shewed then, it is quite impossible to realize that I shall hear the tones of that voice no more." 364 LAST YEARS To Miss Hounek. Barton, December 26th, 1881. My dear Susan, I must write you a few lines to wish you many happy returns of your birthday and a happy New Year. I trust that you and all your family party at Florence are enjoying good health, and will be able to welcome the new year with cheer- ful and comfortable feelings. As years roll on, and one begins to feel the infirmities of age, and still more when one reflects on the many who have gone before us, a " browner shade " (as Gibbon says) is cast over the prospect : but we may be very thankful when we have no more to complain of than Fanny and I have. The year which is now nearly past, has taken away not a few of our friends, though happily none of the nearest and dearest. It is a great pleasure to have dear Katharine and Rosamond with us now: Arthur Lyell left us yesterday, and they seem well ; when they leave us we shall be for a little while quite alone, as our Arthur is visiting other friends. I have read the "Life of Charles Lyell" with great delight, and am now going through it again, not reading it straight through, hut picldng out the plums, which are very many. No doubt it is in some measure incomplete ; so — I take it — is every bio- graphy except, perhaps, Boswell's Johnson). It has interested me more than any other book I have read since the " Life of Charles Kingsley." Lord Camp- bell's "Life" also was very pleasant reading, and gave me a much higher opinion of him than I had before. I am now reading the first volume of Lecky's " History of England," for the second time, for I was quite vexed to find how much I had forgotten it, though I read it less than four years ago ; and as I hope there will be two more volumes coming out soon, I am preparing for them by refreshing my memory of the CHARLES DARWIN 365 former. I find that my memory is growing old ; I have more difficulty than I used to have in impressing durably on my mind what I read. — Not that I think this is entirely owing to the weakening of the memory by age ; the greater multiplicity and variety of common things — especially of business, which one has to attend to as one grows older — accounts for part of the change. Talking of growing old, Mr. Bentham, who is eighty-one or two, lately sent to the Linnaean Society an elaborate and masterly paper on one of the largest and most intricate families of plants. Pretty well for that age. Ever your loving brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. April 2Mh, 1882. The news of Charles Darwin's death startled us on the 22nd. It is a great loss to science as well as to his many friends. Old as he was (just eight days younger than I) he had so long been indefatigable in his pursuits, and had so lately given pubhc evidence of his unabated mental activity and clearness of faculties, that one could not help expect- ing still more from him ; and at the first moment it seemed strange (though in reality perfectly natural) that such a fount of knowledge should be suddenly cut off. He was decidedly the greatest naturahst of our time and country ; perhaps of our time without the limitation of country. What is most remarkable, he was not only transcendently great in the two de- partments (zoology and geology) to which he chiefly devoted himself, but he threw new and most im- portant Ught on some branches of botany, particu- larly on the physiology of plants. May 9th. Just received the horrible news of the murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke in the Phoenix Park. A great many shocking and frightful crimes have been committed in my time, but I hardly think there has been any so atrocious as 366 LAST YEARS this,— so utterly unprovoked, for Lord Frederick had only just entered on his office, had had nothing previously to do with Ireland, and could not possibly have injured or annoyed anyone there. Even the Irish newspapers have generally professed their ab- horrence of the act, and Parnell himself has written and spoken with very right and proper feeling on the subject. May 15th. Yesterday I had the pleasure of re- ceiving a letter from Lady Muriel Boyle, from the Vice-regal Lodge at Dublin ; a very sweet letter, and as comfortable as could be at such a time. She crossed over with Lady Spencer and Mr. Trevelyan, on the 10th. She says they had a perfectly good passage ; they found Lord Spencer and Mr. Boyle looking very pale and much fagged (as well they may !) — but that all of them are very well guarded and protected. June 12th. A visit yesterday from Leopold and Mary Powys, very lately returned from Egypt. They went as far as the first Cataract. Leopold seems to have enjoyed the expedition amazingly, and the climate did his health a great deal of good. He describes the abundance and variety of birds, all along the Nile valley, as something astonishing ; he has made a fine collection, including several rare species : and he says that if he had shot for the sake of slaughter (as many Englishmen do) and not for scientific collecting, he could easily have killed thou- sands. The plagues of Egypt, he says, are: — frogs (the noise of which is incessant and most wearisome), flies (not mosquitoes nor biting or stinging flies, but teasing in the same way as they do in the South of Europe, but much worse), and sandstorms. He says that the Khedive is the best man in Egypt, — that the country never was so prosperous or so well governed as it is now, and that the great reason for these machinations against the Khedive is that he has protected the peasantry EGYPT 367 against the oppressions of the officers and underlings civil and military. L. Powys believes that the dis- turbances in Egypt have been secretly instigated by the Porte. He says that it is very, painfiil to an Englishman to hear the way in which England is now everywhere spoken of. Powys says he found it absolutely necessary, in Egypt, to shave his face smooth, because his whiskers and beard became abso- lutely loaded with sand. December iMh. Mr. Harry Jones preached an admirable sermon in our Church this morning on the text : " Watch ye therefore, and pray always " — (Luke, chap. 21). He dwelt on the necessity of watchfulness, especially in these times ; that we should not be absorbed merely in the petty cares and immediate surroundings of our daily life, but be observant also of those matters which might involve the greater interests of our country or of mankind ; pointing out how the wonderful ease and rapidity of communication between the most distant countries, in these days, may easily deceive us as to the import- ance of passing events, hinder us from seeing them in their true proportions, and therefore from being pre- pared for their consequences. He spoke also very forcibly on the other clause of the text, the duty and necessity of prayer to render our watchfulness useful. His sermons are very powerful, excellent both in matter and language. January 12th. I saw announced in The Times the death of my old tutor, Mr. Matthews (Frederick Hoskyns Matthews), at the age of eighty-four. He was a little more than ten years older than I. My father engaged him in 1822 as private tutor to my brothers and me, and he remained with us till we went abroad in the latter part of '27. He knew thoroughly what he professed to teach — Latin and Greek and mathematics, and I think he was a very good teacher. In classics, at least, I know that his instructions have remained very much impressed 368 LAST YEARS upon my memory : so that whenever I read or recall to mind particular passages of the ancient authors, his particular modes of construing them — his favourite phrases, or his peculiar objections to others — con- stantly recur to my thoughts. He was a good, quaint, simple-hearted man, a little hot and hasty in temper perhaps (I daresay we often gave him provo- cation), but very sensible to kindness ; he always expressed himself as very grateful to my father, and though I did not see him again for many years (twenty-eight years, if I remember right) after we had parted in '27, he was very cordial and expressed great joy at the meeting. Since then, I have seen him a few times, as whenever he has been in London and has known of my being there at the same time, he has always come to see me, and shown the same cordiality. So he has also to Edward, who has had more frequent opportunities of meeting him. He was extremely gratified by the success of Edward's " History of Ancient Geography," and especially by its learning. Mr. Matthews was well read in English literature, at least in that of the 18th century, to which he was very partial ; indeed, his taste was altogether regulated by the canons of criticism which prevailed in the time of our grandfathers ; he was steadily devoted to the " classics," in English as well as in Greek and Latin. Of French, I think, he had but an imperfect knowledge, and of other modern languages none at all. Mr. Matthews was very fond of billiards, and still more of chess, in which he was a very great proficient. He had many innocent little oddities and peculiar ways, and was very shy and silent in society, had in fact many of the characteristics of a collegiate recluse. When I visited him at Hereford, in 1855, at a time when he was the sole partner^ in a seemingly thriving country bank, and was comparatively a rich man, he received me in a very modest lodging, and pointed out to me with ' Rather an inaccurate phrase by the way. "BOTANICAL FRAGMENTS" 369 pleasure and pride, how like a room in college it was. When the affairs of the bank turned out unfor- tunately, and he was reduced to comparative poverty, I heard from those who saw him often, that he did not merely bear this reverse of fortune with equanimity, but was actually pleased with it, and enjoyed his release from all the cares and trammels of business and wealth. The first time he went to call on Edward in London, he wore a smoking-cap instead of a hat, and read a newspaper as he walked along the streets. August 26th. Yesterday I received from Spottis- woode twenty-five copies of my '• Botanical Fragments." The index proved a very troublesome and tiresome job ; my dear excellent wife undertook it for me, and worked at it for an hour or more every day : but I (of course) revised every page of her work, and with the multitude and diversity of other occupations in London, it consumed a great deal of time. It was not till the 24th of July that 1 returned the last proof sheet of the index. Now that the printer's work is finished, I am very well satisfied with it: the printing is remarkably correct (indeed all through I have been agreeably surprised with its accuracy), and the type is very good. Now comes the business of distributing the copies, for it is "privately printed." Septemler 10th. Susan Horner said to-day — that according to her experience — Ufe has in it much more of pleasure than of pain. I heartily agree with her : my experience and sentiment are entirely in agree- ment with hers. Of course the case must be very different with those (very many I fear), who can only recall the experiences of extreme poverty or of life- long disease. For myself, I have to lament the loss of many dear and highly valued and much regretted friends : but this, to a great extent, is a misfortune inseparable from human life — inevitable to all who live through the usual span of life. Excluding these II.— 2 B 370 LAST YEARS losses by death, and the frequent recurrence of stings of conscience on account of old follies, I must say that my memory recalls much more of what is agree- able in the past than of the contrary. Unlike Dr. Johnson, I can honestly say that I can remember many days — aye, and weeks and months, which I would gladly — if the choice were offered to me— live over again : and I am very grateful for the power of recollecting them. September SQth. Received a very interesting and very gratifying letter from George Bentham, con- cerning my book, of which I have lately sent him a copy. The dear old man (he is now at least eighty- three years old) is now very infirm, so much so that, as he tells me in this letter, he is no longer able to go to Kew ; this must be a great privation, as he has for many years past been in the regular and constant habit of going thither every week-day to work in the herbarium. He was very ill in the spring and early summer, so that his death was thought to be close at hand : and though he has rallied in some degree, I do not know whether he has been out-of-doors since. But his mind is in perfect preservation, evidently. It is very happy that Bentham and Hooker's great work, " The Plantarum," was completed before the former was pulled down by this illness, so that he was able to take an active and important part in it to the last. The very last family in it — that of the Grasses, was worked up principally by Bentham, and it is done in a masterly way. The care and labour which he bestowed on this very difficult order of plants, and the ability with which he treated it, are truly re- markable in a man of his age. GEORGE BENTHAM 371 To Mes. Lyell. Barton Hall, Bury St. Edmunds, November 30th, 1883. My dear Katharine, Very many thanks for your letter, as well as for Dr. Asa Gray's, which I also owe to you, and which is indeed very gratifying. To have received such letters as 1 have from such men as Bentham and Hooker and Asa Gray, is indeed very pleasant. I must honestly say that I am surprised at the gratifying way in which they have received my " Fragments," and that it makes me, myself, think better of my book than I did before. If Dr. Gray wishes to insert a notice of it in any of the American scientific periodicals, of course I cannot refuse him, though I am not in general very fond of reviews. I am studying the last part of the " Genera Plan- tarum," in which there is a very great deal to study : but I feel strongly the truth of what you say about the difficulty of finding time in these short days to do what one wants — or near it — especially as I want to spare my eyes, and not to read small print or to write a great deal by candle light. As for micro- scopic work, I feel that I must henceforth avoid it altogether. Not that there is anything actually the matter with my eyes, but I feel they are not so strong as they have been. With much love to Rosa- mond, believe me ever. Your truly loving brother, Charles J. F, Bunbury. 372 LAST YEARS January 1st, 1884, I did not find much, in our two months in London, that has left a deeply agree- able impression on my memory. But I must except our visit to Lady De Ros, a most interesting and charming old lady : — so old, that she had danced at the ever memorable Brussels Ball, on the 15th of June, 1815, and talked with the Duke of Brunswick a few hours before he was killed. She was intimately acquainted with the Duke of Wellington. But at this great age. Lady De Ros is in perfect possession of all her faculties : she talked admirably well, tell- ing us in the clearest and most Uvely way many interesting and amusing stories of the Great Duke, and other famous men with whom she had been familiarly acquainted. Lady De Ros's age is not given in Debrett, but she is third daughter of the fourth Duke of Richmond, therefore sister of that Duke who was in the Peninsular battles and was dangerously wounded at Orthez, of whom I have so often heard Sir George Napier talk. August Mh. Barton. We came down hither on the 24th of July, and are settled now (I hope) for the rest of the year at our dear home. Katharine came with us, Rosamond the next day, and our dear friend Mrs. Storrs, on Saturday ; but these all re- turned to town on the 28th. Leonora Pertz and her daughter Annie, who came on the 25th, and Car. MacMurdo, who came on the 26th, are with us now, and wiU, I hope, remain some time longer. August 9tk. A really remarkable and uncommon season, a poet's August. From the 30th of last month, not a drop of rain ; continued sunshine : un- interrupted fine weather, indeed beautiful and very hot. The harvest going on splendidly. We can hardly be sufficiently thankful. Most of the wheat in this parish, I believe, is now cut, and it appears to be in fine condition. The harvest-men, however, have suffered a good deal from the heat. I see in The Times the death of an old friend, General Sir Wil- LIFE AT BARTON 373 liana Codrington — four years older than myself. His father and mother were among the most intimate friends of mine ; my brother Hanmer served on board Sir Edward's ship at Navarino, and was wounded there ; and as long as we were young the two families continued to be very intimate. September 12th. I see in 2%e Times the death of our dear old friend George Bentham, at the age of 84. He had fallen into such bad health within this last year, and was so much broken down, that one could hardly wifih his life to be prolonged, especially as it was very lonely. George Bentham was unquestionably one of the greatest botanists of our time. Of his English con- temporaries (those of his generation since the death of Robert Brown and Lindley), I should say that Joseph Hooker alone could be ranked as his equal or nearly so ; and of the foreign botanists coeval with him, I hardly know of five who ought to be ranked in the same class. He seems to have begun the study very early in life, and to have pursued it with undeviating zeal and fidelity to near the day of his death. He was brought up, I beUeve, in France, and certainly (as he himself more than once told me) learned botany there; all his botanical studies seemed to have been conducted on the principles of the French school — so much so, that he sometimes seemed to be prejudiced against the Linnean method. His writings and his personal example no doubt con- tributed much to estabhsh the French system in this country. He was a great traveller. He travelled (I beUeve) in nearly every country of Europe, and made large botanical collections in all ; was fond of talking of his travels, and told them very well. He was particularly fond (I think) of recalling the memories of a botanical tour which he made, when a young man, in company with Mr. Amott, in the Pyrenees. I remember he mentioned the stock of botanical drying paper which they laid in for the expedition ; 374 LAST YEARS it was almost incredible. He seems to have always been industrious in collecting and preserving plants, as well as studying them, and by the donation of his own herbarium and its establishment at Kew, he has rendered a most important service to the science. George Bentham once told me that he was of the same age as the century — born, that is, just at the beginning of it. His father was Sir Samuel Bentham, who was distinguished in the Russian service; and Jeremy Bentham was his uncle. He was a very amiable man, and a very pleasant one. His transcen- dent merits as a botanist are, I fancy, better known abroad than in England. Bentham appears to me a remarkably sensible, judicious botanist, very free from any whims or caprices, or exaggerated views ; a man of immense industry and accuracy, indefatigable in studying and comparing books as well as plants living and dried. He was really, though soberly, enthusiastic in the pursuit of his science, but I never perceived that he had any unreasonable enthusiasm for any particular system or method of study. Ben- tham's coolness and soberness of character was re- markably shown in his latter years, in his reception of the Darwinian theory. I am not aware that he had publicly expressed any opinion respecting it, till within the last few years ; then, in the course of his immense studies of species, genera and families, the subject was gradually forced on his attention, and he avowed his adhesion, not with the eager zeal of a sudden convert, but cautiously, deliberately and temperately. SepteTuber 20th. I find in the Gardener's Chronicle of this day a very good article on George Bentham, in which his merits are duly appreciated ; and I learn from it several facts which are new to me. He was born on September 22nd, 1800, at Plymouth, his father, Sir Samuel Bentham, being then Inspector of the Royal Dockyards. From 1814 to 1826, or thereabouts, he lived with his DEATH OF BENTHAM 375 family in the neighbourhood of Montpellier, and there he first studied botany. His first work — A Catalogue of Plants indigenous to the Pyrenees and Bas Languedox — was written in French, and was published in 1826. I have never seen this, but the writer in the Gardeners' Chronicle says — and I have no doubt truly — that there may be perceived in it the germs of those views and methods by which his writings were afterwards distinguished. He became Secretary to the Horticultural Society in 1829, and continued so to 1840 ; during which time he deter- mined and described in the Transactions of that Society all the numerous new species introduced by Douglas, Drummond and others. Thus he con- tinually gained experience, and (what was very im- portant) practice in the comparison of dried plants with the living. To Mes. Lyell. Barton Hall, Bury St. Edmunds, October 9th, 1884. My dear Katharine, Very many thanks for your pleasant letter, which I was very glad to receive. I have been long intending to write to you, but between company, laziness, constitutional exercise and a little study, I have always put it off. I am much interested by your remarks on dear old Bentham's death, and agree with you entirely. One can hardly tell whether one ought, or ought not to feel regret for his departure. For himself — he seemed so com- pletely broken in health, incapable of his usual occupations, and living such a lonely life— that I think we can only regard it as a happy release. Life 376 LAST YEARS could offer him no more enjoyment ; and he had done his Ufe's work, and done it admirably. But to the few friends who saw him constantly to the last, it must be a loss. The article in Nature was sent to me by an unknown friend, and interested me ex- tremely. It must certainly be by Joseph Hooker ; the total omission of his name would have been in- comprehensible and inexcusable if it had been any- one else. I was not only interested, but learned a great many facts from it about Bentham and his family and friends. I had no notion that his life had been so varied and full of incidents (though I knew that he had been a great traveller), nor was I aware that he had ever tried to practise as a lawyer. I think he was very wise in giving up that scheme entirely, and devoting himself to botany. I cannot imagine him as a lawyer. I quite agree with you that (as far at least as I know of the botanists of the present day) Joseph Hooker and Dr. Asa Gray are the only ones worthy to be placed in the same rank with Bentham, but Mr. Baker (who worked up the lilies so well), Mr. Ball (of Morocco), and perhaps Dr. Maxwell Masters, are quite worthy, I think, to step into the places which the front rank may leave vacant. {Oct. 10th). — We have had a glorious, a really wonderful summer and autumn, and have enjoyed them heartily, and I am very glad you have had the like enjoyment in Scotland. This morning, at last, it has been raining heavily, and looks like a con- tinuance of the same ; this will be welcome, for there is already some real inconvenience, and appre- hension of more, from scarcity of water. Yet the grass still looks green and fresh — owing, I suppose, to the heavy dews at night. The autumnal colours of the foliage are now very beautiful. I do not think I ever saw them more so. In particular, the Mespilus Canadensis, a small tree, standing opposite to the S.W. end of the drawing-room (do you MR. GODWIN AUSTEN 377 remember it ?) is a mass of foliage of the brightest crimson. In the hedges too, the profusion of fruit on the hawthorns, wild roses and brambles, is some- thing quite remarkable. We have had the house cram full, this week, of guests for the Bury ball, and some very pleasant people. Believe me ever, your loving brother, ChaHLES J. F. BUNBURY. To Mrs. Lyell. Barton Hall, Bury St. Edmunds, November 27th, 1884. My dear Katharine, I saw in T'he Times, yesterday, the news that Godwin Austen had "gone before" us ; and the news gave me a solemn feeling as my memory travelled back over the many years during which I had been used to meet him at the Geological and at Charles Lyell's and your father's. One of the last times that I met him, I remember he said to me, that he no longer cared to go to the G. S. Meetings, for the " old set " was all gone ; and I quite agreed with him. He will have left a name in geology which will not soon be forgotten. He was a good and able man, and a pleasant one too, though "he had his fancies." I am very sorry for Mrs. Austen. And now I see, to-day, the departure of Bonham Carter : — I knew him much less intimately than I did Austen ; but I fancy that he and his family were old friends of yours, therefore I am sorry. Truly, the warnings come fast when one comes to my time of life. I am very much interested by your account of your visit to Mr. Arnold's school at Eversley, and it is delightful to hear that dear 378 LAST YEARS Charlie is established in such a charming place. I, hke you, delight in that heath and fir style of country. I have a dried specimen of the Marsh Gentian (Pneumonanthe) from near Eversley, given me by Mrs. John Martineau, but it is diminutive to what I have gathered in Switzerland. Having been confined to the house now for very near three weeks, I have had plenty of time for reading, but I have not got through any very im- portant work. I have been a good deal entertained by Lord Malmesbury, particularly the first volume. Such a rapid survey of our life-time (I say our because his has nearly coincided in time with mine), shows in a striking way what a multitude of extra- ordinary events and changes have happened in that time. One can hardly beheve that we have con- tinued so little changed (at least, so it seems to me), while such wonderful changes have been happening all round us. It wiU be three weeks to-morrow since I have set foot either in my museum or my garden ! — and in that time the season has completely changed: this day there has been a regular fall of snow ! I am very glad that Joseph Hooker has given you an interesting relic of Bentham. With Fanny's best love. Believe me ever. Your loving brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. December 15th. The end of the year is near at hand, and again I feel myself (as so often before) called upon both by duty and inclination, to offer my most humble and earnest thanks to Almighty God, for the innumerable blessings bestowed on me, and of which I feel myself very unworthy. Above all, I am grateful, and never can be sufficiently grateful, that my admirable wife is preserved to me, and that we live together in uninterrupted harmony, and in the THE SOUDAN WAR 379 enjoyment of good health, considering our ages. Surely no man ever could be more fortunate in a wife than I am ; I can, indeed, never be thankful enough for such a blessing. December i'lth. Very dark and very cold. Read Cicero's " De Senectute." The Soudan war drags its slow length along, and as far as I can see, the best we can hope for is that it may not end in some terrible catastrophe. The earthquake, which was so severely felt in Essex last April, was a very remark- able event, for I do not remember that one so severe is recorded to have happened in England — certainly not in modern times. The sudden death of the Duke of Albany (Prince Leopold) on the 28th March, excited a general feeUng of sorrow. The sentiment of attachment to the Queen and her family is, I hope and beUeve, still strong and wide- spread. The villainous attempts to do indefinite mischief by means of explosions, have been repeated more than once in this year ; but the Almighty has mercifully preserved us from any extensive results from the wickedness of such villains. I have not followed up my Botanical Fragments by any further attempt at writing anything on the same subject which might be printed. Crabbe says, old men are apt to remark that the days pass slowly with them, and yet the years, on looking back, seem to have gone rapidly. I find this true in some degree, as to the years, but not as to the days. I am thankful to say that, as yet, I am far from finding the days heavy or tedious, that is when I am well in health and am here at home. January 22nd, 1885. Again a terrible battle in the Soudan between our force under General Stuart and the Arabs ; we have been victorious, but with most lamentable loss of life : nine officers killed (one of them Colonel Burnaby) and nine wounded ; soldiers ; sixty-five slain, ninety-five wounded. It is little consolation that we have killed a great number of the 380 LAST YEARS poor Arabs, who seem (as in the engagements last year) to have fought with most desperate and reckless valour. I suppose they must be inflamed by fanaticism. Colonel Burnaby, I should think, is a great loss ; he seems to have been a thoroughly chivalrous character. All our troops who were engaged seemed to have be- haved admirably. But our whole force out there is so small that, unless the enemy are thoroughly dis- heartened, we cannot look without great anxiety to the prospect of another battle. January 27th. News of another battle and another victory, but not won without heavy loss — not indeed so heavy numerically, as in the last battle, but what seems very serious is, that General Stuart has received a severe and (it is feared) disabling wound. The ad- vantage gained, however, appears much more important than before, as our forces have reached the Nile, and opened a communication with Gordon's steamers, so as to gain a command of that part of the river. The object of the laborious and dangerous march across the Desert was (I suppose) to cut off" the great bend which the Nile makes. February 6th. Most deplorable and disastrous news, yesterday, by telegraph : — Khartoum betrayed by treachery into the hands of the enemy ; Gordon's fate uncertain, but there seems every probability that he is either slain or a prisoner. Sir C. Wilson's force, having attempted to approach Khartoum, repulsed by the heavy fire of the enemy ; the Mahdi's force there seems to be great. Much fear that Wolseley's army will not be strong enough in numbers for the work it has to do. — It is an awful crisis. NEWS FROM KHARTOUM 381 To Mes. Lyell. Barton, Bury St. Edmunds, February 7th, 1885. My deah Katharine, Many thanks for your good wishes on my birthday, and for sending me that fine book of comical illustrations to the Jackdaw of Rheims. {Feb. 8th.) I had written no further than this yesterday, and this morning I received your interest- ing letter. The news from Khartoum is indeed deplorable, and not only in the present evil, but in what it leaves one to apprehend : for though Gordon individually may be the greatest loss, it is still worse to think of ihe destruction of the whole force under Wolseley as possible if not probable. It is dreadful to think of the grief and anxiety that so many must be suffering in this suspense. If it be true that Gladstone was against sending Gordon on this wild- goose chase, he is much to be pitied, for certainly everybody holds, and will hold him responsible for the whole scheme. His name will be associated with the expedition as Lord Auckland's is with the first Afghan war ; for one looks on Gladstone as not only Premier, but Dictator. I cannot go along with you in general admiration of Bright, but I do think that he was very wise in keeping out of this business altogether. Why should we send expeditions to slaughter poor ignorant Arabs or Egyptians, who would never have meddled with us ? What with war in Africa and dynamite at home. Socialists in the Ministry, and no price for farm produce, it is difficult to be happy and comfortable in such days. However, as old Bewick's vignette says — " Good times and bad times, and all times, pass over." Ever yoxir loving brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. 382 LAST YEARS February 11th. There seems to be now no doubt that Gordon was murdered when Khartoum was seized and given up to the enemy by the treacherous Pashas. And better that it should be so — that he should have died at once rather than have fallen into the hands of the enemy. He was a grand man — cer- tainly a hero — a very extraordinary and memorable character ; yet I cannot help wishing that he had died before he undertook — on behalf of our Govern- ment — the expedition to Khartoum. Or rather, indeed, it would be more reasonable and just to wish that our Government had never urged or persuaded him to undertake that wild expedition. However it came to pass, or whoever is answerable for the whole deplorable series of blunders, it is certain that we are (speaking in familiar language) in a dreadful 7ness, with no hope or chance of ex- tricating ourselves unless by further cruel sacrifices of valuable lives. To Miss Joanna Hoener. Barton, Bury St. Edmunds, February 11th, 1885. My dear Joanna, Very many thanks for your kind and agree- able letter, dated on the 4th, and for all your good wishes, for which I am as grateful as if they had arrived on my birthday. I am thankful to say that Fanny and I are now both of us quite well, and able to enjoy the very fine weather which we have had for some little time past. The spring is so far a fine and forward one, and many pretty flowers are appearing in the garden : — Yellow Aconite {Eranthis properly) in profusion ; Snowdrops of two species in abundance, Violets, Yellow Crocuses, and the beautiful little blue Scilla bifolia. In the hot-house we have some very beautiful Orchids in blossom. The only place where I ever saw Snowdrops really wild, was on Monte Albano, the ancient Mons DEATH OF GORDON 388 Latialis. 1 am interested by your account of your travelled Italian friend ; but I must own that Siberia and Lapland are almost the last countries in which 1 should wish to travel. I have lately read, for the fourth or fifth time, Cicero's treatise on Old Age (De Senectute) : it is beautiful. I am now reading a volume on Bacon by the Dean of St. Paul's. All our thoughts are now very much occupied by the deplorable news from the Soudan ; I hardly think that England has been in such a distressing and alarming position since the first Afghan war in 1842 (or at any rate since the Indian Mutiny). The death of Gordon is to be lamented, but it is worse to anticipate the multitude of deaths that must follow— the multitude of valuable lives that will be sacrificed in vain. Even since I began this letter there comes the news of another murderous battle, with lamentable loss of valuable men. General Earle, Sir William Codrington's son-in-law, seen^ to be particularly regretted. In all the recent battles, the loss of officers in proportion to soldiers has been excessive, much beyond what was usual in former wars ; the Arabs seem to be not only brave fighters but skilful marksmen, and they have such an enor- mous superiority of numbers that they can afford to expend a great many more men than we can. Our soldiers fight like heroes, but it does seem deplorable that they should be sent to be slaughtered by, or to slaughter, other brave men with whom they had nothing to do, and who would never have come to attack us. I wish the members of the Ministry could be sent to fight in the Soudan ! Ever your loving brother, Charles J. F. Bunbury. August 5th. I see announced in the newspapers, the death of my old Mend Lord Houghton (Richard Monckton Milnes). He was very nearly of the same 384 LAST YEARS age as I — both born in the same year, 1809 — but he by some months the younger ; on the other hand, he was my senior in standing at Cambridge by (I think) two years. I do not exactly remember when I first knew him, but it must have been (I think) either in my second or third term, and through the medium of Arthur Hervey. From that time we continued to be intimate till he took his degree ; Edward and I being in some measure in the same set with MUnes. His acquaintance was much more extensive than mine or even Edward's ; but my especial friends — Stafford O'Brien, Augustus Fitz Roy, James Colville, were also, I think, friends of Milnes. Milnes was a man of extraordinary activity and versatility of mind, with a great variety of pursuits, but hardly, I think, first rate in any. He spoke often at the Union, with great fluency and confidence, but hardly (I think) with brilliant effect. Confidence indeed was one of the qualities most prominent and conspicuous in him ; every one knows the name which Sydney Smith gave him, of "The Cool of the Evening." But with various oddities and perhaps weaknesses, he was a truly good-natured and, I believe, good- hearted man. After leaving Cambridge, 1 saw Milnes only occasionally, at uncertain and often long intervals ; and this was still more the case after we, each of us, married and settled. But whenever we have met of late years, he has always greeted me in a friendly and cordial way. I have lately read a MS. Journal of the late Mr. Mallet, lent to us by his son Sir Louis Mallet. It contains much matter relating to English politics during the times of the ministry of Canning and Lord Goderich, and the early part of the Duke of Wellington's. Mr. Mallet appears to have been a very earnest, grave, thoughtful, sagacious man, with great knowledge and experience of political affairs : a close observer and rather severe judge of public men, with a strong leaning to republicanism, LAST DAYS 385 and accordingly, much inclination to judge English politicians severely. He scarcely seems to appreciate even Wellington or Peel : — Canning better, after his death. [This was the last long entry in his journal. His health and strength began to fail, and in November he became so seriously ill that Sir Andrew Clark was sent for to Barton ; and he was placed on a strict regime of rest, and confined to his bedroom floor. The year passed away peaceably ; intimate friends and relations came, and his library was an unfailing re- source. In the following April, 1886, he was able to go downstairs, to his great comfort, and in May he took drives in the country, and visited his garden and Arboretum. As the season advanced his drives with his wife or an intimate fi-iend, were continued. On the 12th June he went with Lady Bunbury for a short drive, and afterwards visited his fern house, and made remarks on his favourite plants ; he then rested in his study till luncheon. He went into the dining-room, and after luncheon rose to ring the bell, when he became giddy, and was only saved from falling, and carried in a chair to his study, where he lay till the doctor came, and in the evening was moved up to his bed, from which he never rose again. He retained his consciousness to the end, and passed gently away on the evening of the 17th June, 1886. The ftmeral was largely attended, and took place at Barton Church on the 24th June, and the body was taken from the church to the quiet enclosure, where the graves of his father and mother are, separated only by a low wall from the rest of the churchyard. His wife, who survived him eight years, was laid beside him.] n.— 2 c A FEW OF THE TRIBUTES WRITTEN BY FRIENDS AFTER HIS DEATH "With great sorrow, with sympathy most sincere, I learn that all is over at Barton, and that I shall never see again in life — though I shall always have him in remembrance — one of the kindest, most culti- vated and intelligent, most courteous and most just in word and deed of all the men I have ever known." "Certainly his life was a very noble one, so un- selfish, so gentle, so unassuming, with his great gifts held with such attractive humility. The perfect gentleman, the cultivated student, and the modest Christian seemed to combine in him. His death has cast a great gloom over this parish, where he has been so much revered and beloved." "To have been honoured by his affection and friendship is a thing to be thankful for all one's life. There surely was never a truer friend than he was. His beautiful humility, which so often ashamed our younger and more arrogant judgments, his unselfish- ness—his chivalrous courtesy — his great wisdom and temperateness on all questions that came under dis- cussion — his wide learning and his never-failing good- ness, combined to make what has always seemed to me a unique character. We shall never see his like again. But I think we must be a little the better ^o for having known such a man." ^fci " Though the world seems so much the poorer for the loss of those who are so good and noble and pure being taken, it cannot reaUy be so — their memory 386 TRIBUTES 387 lives ; they are gone higher, nobler work elsewhere. I do not think any life is unfinished in God's eyes or in His scheme of goodness and wisdom. Is it not a comforting thought that he was one of those whose love and trust and faith were as pure as when he was a child ? whose deep knowledge and wisdom never made him otherwise than humble at the contempla- tion of the highest wisdom. I always think of him as one of the ' Saints of God.' " "Surely no man had more friends, and all his friends loved and admired him for himself and his own great qualities. I do not know any one who used so modestly his unrivalled stores of knowledge, who intruded them so little, but who was so instantly ready to apply them in assisting to remove any doubt or difficulty which others felt. Never appealed to in vain, his accuracy of memory was something wonder- ful, and yet his correction of others was so gently done that it scarcely sounded like a difference." WORKS AND SCIENTIFIC PAPERS BY C. J. F. BUNBURY, BART. I. LIST OF WORKS. "A Residence at the Cape of Good Hope." (Published by J. MuiTay. 1848.) " Memoir and Literary Remains of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Edward Bunbury, Bart." (Edited by his son Sir Charles J. F. Bunbury. Privately printed. 1868.) " Botanical Fragments." (By Sir Charles J. F. Bunbury, Bart. Privately printed. 1883.) "Botanical Notes at Barton and Mildenhall, Suffolk." (By Sir Charles J. F. Bunbury, Bart. Edited by his wife, 1889. Privately printed.) II. LIST OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. (1) "Botanical Excursions in South Africa." Hooper, Lond. Journ. Bot. I, 1842, pp. 549-70; II, 1843, pp. 15-41; III, 1844, pp. 242-63. (2) " On Some Remarkable Fossil Ferns from Frostburg, Mary- land." Geol. Soc. Journ. II, 1846, pp. 82-91. Sillinian, Journ. II, 1846, pp. 427-8. (3) " Notes on the Fossil Plants from Nova Scotia." Geol. Soc. Journ. 1846, pp. 136-9. (4) "On Fossil Plants from the Coal-formation of Cape Breton." Geol. Soc. Journ. Ill, 1847, pp. 423-37. (5) "Descriptions of Fossil Plants from the Coal-field near Richmond, Virginia." Geol. Soc. Journ. Ill, 1847, pp. 281-8. Silliman, Journ. N, 1847, pp. 114-15. (6) " On the occurrence in the Tarantaine of certain species of Fossil Plants of the Carboniferous period, associated in the same bed with Belemnites." Brit. Assoc. Rep. 1848 (pt. ii. p. 64). (7) " On Fossil Plants from the Anthracite Formation of the Alps of Savoy." Geol. Soc. Journ. V, 1849, pp. 130-42. 388 WORKS AND SCIENTIFIC PAPERS 389 (8) " On certain undescribed and rare Plants found in Brazil." Gard. Chron. 1841, p. 294. (9) "Remarks on certain Plants of Brazil, with descriptions of some which appear to be new." Linn. Soc. Proc. I, 1849, pp. 108-10. (10) " On the Fossil Plants from the Jurassic Strata of the Yorkshire Coast." Geol. Soc. Journ. VII, 1851, pp. 179-94. (11) "Description of a peculiar Fossil Fern from the Sidney Coal-field, Cape Breton." Geol. Soc. Journ. VIII, 1852, pp. 31-5. (12) " On the Vegetation of Buenos Ayres and the neighbour- ing districts" (1853). Linn. Soc. Proc. II, 1855, pp. 220-31. Linn. Soc. Trans. XXI, 1855, pp. 185-98. (13) "Notice of some appearances observed on Draining a Mere near Wretham Hall, Norfolk." Geol. Soc. Journ. XII, 1856, pp. 355-6. (14) "Remarks on the Botany of Madeira and TenerifFe." (1855). Linn. Soc. Journ. I, 1875 (Bot.), pp. 1-35. (15) " On a remarkable specimen of Neuropteris, with remarks on the genus." Geol. Soc. Journ. XIV, 1858, pp. 243-9. (16) " On some Vegetable Remains from Madeira " (1858). Geol. Soc. Journ. XV, 1859, pp. 50-9. (17) Note on a Collection of Fossil Plants from Nagpur, Central India." Geol. Soc. Journ. XVII, 1861, pp. 325-46. (18) Bunbury, C. J. F., and Lyell, C. " Observations on the Fossil Plants of the Coal-field of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with a description of some species." Silliman, Journ. II, 1846, pp. 228-33. After his death, in 1886, Sir Charles Bunbury's herbarium and collection of fossils were, in accordance with his wishes, presented by Lady Bunbury to the Botanical Department of the University of Cambridge. A paper referring to the collection of fossils is published in the "Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society," Vol. VIII, pt. iii. : " Notes on the Bunbury Collection of Fossil Plants, with a list of type specimens in the Cambridge Botanical Museum," by A. C. Seward, m.a., St. John's College. INDEX Abergwynantj 236, 239-44 ; mosses at, ii. 88 Abies, ii. 66, 100, 249, 346 Abraham, Mr., ii. 188, 191, 194, 195, 209, 245 Acacia, ii. 4 Academy, Royal, ii. 263 Acanthus, 168 Acland, Sir J., 129 Actinia;, 134 Adam, Sir Frederick, on Sir H. Bttubury's Narrative, and on war in Egyi*^ 337-8 Adansonia, ii. 51, 69 Adenocarpus, 41, 42, 46, 46 ; ii. 48 Adiantum, 35 ; ii. 13, 18, 23, 24 Adoxa, 346 JEgilops, 162, 366 JBpyomis, Prof. Owen, on, ii. 264 Aerolite, in Berlin Museum, ii. 79 JEsculus, ii. 166, 238, 249, 348 Afghanistan, war in, ii. 364 Africa, Dr. Peters on, ii. 72 ; F. Galton on, ii. 169 Agassiz, ii. 147 ; on origin of species, ii. 129-30 ; glacial phenomena in Brazil, ii. 199, 200, 204 Agave, 209 ; ii. 291 Agnew, Mrs., ii. 162 Agrigentum, 169-71, 174 AUantus, ii. 270 Aizoon, ii. 33 Alassio, 274 Albano, 163, 311 ; botany of, 153 Albenga, 275 Albite, ii. 81 Alcamo, 165 Akhemilla, 323 Aldburgh, 25 Algce, 267, 359 Alma, battle of, ii. 61 Almond, 174 ; ii. 21 Aloe, 67, 111, 160, 166, 167, 175, 278 Alopeeurus, 301 Alsophila, 86 ; ii. 110 Aluminium, ii. 69 Amaryllis, 59 ; ii. 223 Amber, ii. 77 Ambleside, botany of, ii. 268 America : Lyell on, 212, 233, 248 ; Kingsley on, ii. 168, 261, 314; civilization of, ii. 149 American garden at Barton, 23 Amiens Cathedral, 262-3 Anacharis, 367 Anastatic printing, 207 Andrachne, ii. 66 Andromeda, ii. 77 Aneimia, ii. 233 Anemone, 39, 163, 236 Anglesea, 141 Animals, change of colour, 131 Anona, ii. 8 Ansted, Mr., on fossil plants, 199, 215 Anthurium, ii. 233 Anthyllis, 162, 276 Ants, 242 Appony, Countess, ii. 98 Araucaria, ii. 7, 227, 249 Arboretum at Barton, 23; ii. 238, 249 Arbutus, 37, 323 ; ii. 65 Archaeological Institute at Bury, ii. 249 Areca, ii. 333 Arenaria, 135 Aristotelia, 134 Aries, 150, 271 Arnold's Roman History, ii. 118 Arran, Bessie, Countess of, daugh- ter of Sir W. Napier, 25, 26, 363 Arran, Earl of (Mr. Gore), 68, 60, 363 Artemisia, ii. 314 Arum, 39 Arundo, ii. 21, 97 391 392 INDEX Asclepias, 358^ 369 Ashantee war^ ii. 304, 305 Asparagus, 34 Aspidium, 323 ; ii. 13, 49 Asplmium, 231 ; ii. 13, 18, 24, 36 Aster, 5 Athamanta, 142 AthenEeum, 362 ; election to, 353-4 Athenseum at Bury {see Bury) Austen, Major Haversham, ii. 312 Austen, Mr. Godwin, visit to, ii. 312 ; death of, ii. 377 Avignon, 34, 268 Avron, or Cloud-berry, 214 Azalea, 23, 214, 328 Babbage, Mr., mentioned, 199, 200, 205, 251, 258; on glaciers, ii. 116 ; death, ii. 278 Babbicombe, 253-4 Bacon's Advancement of Learning, 334 Baker, Great Basin of the Nile, ii. 209 Balceniceps, ii. 160 Balbo, Count, 320 Ball, John (botanist), on Quercus, ii. 166 ; on the botany of Morocco, ii. 346 Balo, ii. 27, 34 Bambusa, 55, 86, 164 Banana, ii. 2, 4, 8, 20, 21, 26, 40 Bancroft, Mr. (United States Min- ister), 251 Bangor, 140-1 Banksia, 208 ; ii. 97, 131 Banyan, 349, 368 ; ii. 333 Baobab, ii. 51 Barkly, Sir H., on distribution of Proteas in South Africa, ii. 347 Barrandes Colonies, Forbes and Lyell on, ii. 105 Barton Hall, seat of the Bunburys, removal to, 22 ; garden, 19, 23-4, 126 ; ii. 86 ; ii. 222 ; ii. 326 ; ii. 335 ; first settling at, ii. 157-8 ; spring at, ii. 362, 362 ; autumn at ; ii. 373, 376 Bartramia, 25 ; ii. 50, 268 Bartsia, 133 Bates, ii. 232 Battle of the Frogs and Mice, 13 Bauer, Ferdinand, drawings for Flora Graica at Oxford, ii. 364 Bayfield Captain, 207 Beadon, Canon, ii. 270-1 Beaconsfield, Lord, 220, 269 ; death, appreciation of, ii. 360-1 Beaumont, Elie de, 263 Beche, Sir H. de la, 216, 219, 251 Bedford Place, Mr. Horner's house, 213, 215, etc. Beech, 164, 204, 230 ; ii. 223, 234, 338 Begonia, 208 Bell, Colonel (General Sir John), 102, 105, 110, 122 ; appreciation, ii. 331-2 Bell, Lady, widow of Sir Charles Bell, on Sir William and Lady Sarah Napier, ii. 133 ; mentioned, ii. 122, 176, 225 ; death, ii. 331 Bell, Lady Catharine, 102, 107, 110 Bellamy, Mr., on mermaids, 131 Bentham, George, on Linnean Society, ii. 97; on Leguminosae and Loganacese, ii. 99 ; on varia- tion of species, ii. 135 ; on tropi- cal families of plants, ii. 161 ; on large plane tree, ii. 238 ; on J. S. Mill, Asclepediaceae and Com- positse, ii. 315-16 ; at Barton, ii. 335 ; botanical work, ii. 366 ; on Botanical Fragments, work on grasses, ii. 370 ; death and ap- preciation, ii. 373-5 ; article on, in Nature, ii. 376 ; mentioned, ii. 132, 164, 166, 194, 210, 219, 233, 330, 362 Bentham, Jeremy, 78 Berlin, visit to, ii. 67-83 ; botanic gardens and herbarium, ii. 79 ; picture gallery, ii. 75 ; visit of Mr. Horner to, ii. 60 Berthollet on botany, ii. 27, 32 Bertholletia, 85 Berzelius, 181 Beust, Count, on Spain, ii. 73 Bewick's birds, 13 Bignonia, 70 ; ii. 2, 4, 10, 20, 220, 233 Bilberry, 240, 241 Birch, ii. 95, 136 Birds, at Barton, ii. 192 ; at Canaries, ii. 34, 40, 60 ; drawings of, 13 ; in Wales, 242 ; at Zoological Gardens, ii. 162, 174 ; ii. 300-1, 335-7 Biscutella, 162 Blake, Patrick, 143, 192 Blanco White, 262 Blechnum, ii. 100 INDEX 393 Blenheim, party at, ii. 354 Blue-bell, 236 Bodleian, Oxford, visit to, ii. 355 Boers at the Cape, 112-13, 124, 146 ; character, 147 ; emigration of, 109, 112, 113 Bonaly, Lord Cockburn's house, 340, 341 Bonn, stay at, 330 Bonpland, at Buenos Ayres, 51 ; at Paraguay, 69 ; ii. 70 ; death, ii. 128 Borassus, ii. 110 Borghese Gallery, Rome, 162 Bossons, Glacier de, at Chamounix, 325 Botany : Aquatic plants, 342-3 ; classification of conifers, ii. 52-8 ; discovery of heath in America, ii. 174 ; geographical distribution of plants, i. 214, 227, 229-30, ii. 83; Humboldt on, ii. 70, 74; love of, i. 4, 6, 24, 45, ii. 221 ; Dr. Lindley on Rosa, i. 182 ; micro- scopic,!. 369 ; Miocene Cape Flora compared to North America Flora, ii. 93 ; venation of leaves, ii. 91, 95, 97 ; power of endurance of seeds in sea water, ii. 91 ; varia- bility, ii. 92, 97, 135. Botany: Fossil, 194, 219, 272, ii. 58-9, 76-8, 91, 93, 93-5, 126, 131, 190-1, 202-3, 238, 308 Botany : of Abergwynant, 236, 240 ; Ambleside, ii. 268 ; Brazil, i. 60, 62, 54, 65, 66, 57, 69, 62, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 76, 200, 368 ; Cam- bridge, i. 142 ; Canaries, ii. 26, 27, 29, 30, 31-6, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 47, 49-61; Cape, i. 103-4, 110, 111, 346, 348; Mt. Cenis, i. 323 ; Chamounix, i. 326-6 ; Chard, i. 27 ; Cheddar, ii. 271 ; Clova, i. 188 ; Cornwall, i. 133-4, 136 ; Cromer, i. 26 ; Daw- lish, i. 27 ; Derbyshire, i. 10 ; France, i. 34-5, 268 ; Fen Fritton, i. 26; Fuegia, i. 230; Madeira, ii. 2, 4, 8, 10-16, 18, 19, 36, 48, 87 ; Oakhampton, i. 28; Riviera of Italy, i. 37-9, 273, 276 ; Rome, i. 153, 300-1; Sicily, i. 160-2, 164, 166, 166, 167, 168, 169, 178 ; Spanish America, ii. 290 ; South- wold, i. 6 ; Torquay, i. 264-6 ; Wales, i. 140. Botany, various topics, 208-9, 231, 261, 297 ; ii. 99, 147, 170, 172, 173-4, 176, 181, 190, 233, 264, 290, 302, 314, 333 Botanical fragments, ii. 369 ; Ben- tham on, ii. 370 ; Asa Gray on, ii. 371 Botanical Gardens, Berlin, ii. 79 ; Kew {see Kew) ; Oxford, ii. 364 ; Paris, ii. 110 ; Rio de Janeiro, 63 Boulogne, 262 Bourges, 264 Bowerbank, collection of fossils, ii. 101 Bowood, 78, 192 Boxall, Sir William, picture of Lady Eastlake, ii. 101 ; ii. 350 Boyd Dawkins, on fallow deer, ii. 239 Boyle, Lady Muriel and Mr., ii. 366 Brading Church, 360 Brambles, 168 ; ii. 18 BramshiU Park (Sir W. Cope's house), ii. 138-9 Brassica, 134 Braun, Prof., of Berlin, ii. 79, 93,94 Brazil, stay in, 49-76 ; glacial phe- nomena in, ii. 199, 200, 204 Bread-fruit, 64 ; ii. 333 Breslau, visit to, ii. 76-8 Brighton, visit to, 351 Bristol, Lord, anecdote of Louis Napoleon and Louis XVIII, 370 ; ii. 104 British Association, meeting at Cambridge, 1862, ii. 178; Nor- wich, 1868, ii. 236-8 ; Plymouth, 1839, 128 British Museum, visits to, 21, 93, 97, 125, 180 ; Xanthian marbles, 181-2 ; Castellani collection, ii. 310 ; Hooker on, ii. 132, 242 Broignart, Adolphe, 191, 194, 263, 297 ; ii. 110-11 Bromham, residence of Sir W. Napier, 29 BromuS) 301 Broom, ii. 18, 41 Brosimum, 97 Brown, John, vice master of Trinity, 44 Brown, Robert, mentioned, 199, 205, 213 ; ii. 97, 107, 127, 130, 312 Brown, Vulgar Errors, 96 Bruce, Henry (Lord Aberdare), ii. 175-6 ; appointed Home Secre- tary, ii. 241 ; on Bright, Home INDEX Secretaries and capital punish- mentj ii. 241 ; dinner at, ii. 312 Bruce, Norah (Lady Aberdare), 363 ; on Queen's reception of Mr. Bright, ii. 240 Brunetti, Angelo (Ciceroacchio), 306 Brunswick (visit to), ii. 67 Bryum, ii. 88 Buckland, Dr., Dean of West- minster, 22 Buckland, Frank, on birds, ii. 237 Buddhism, ii. 229 Buenos Ayres, stay at, 57-63 ; botany of, 67-8 ; mentioned, 61-3 Buildwas Abbey, 238 Buller, Charles, 146 BuUer, Rev. R., of Troston, Carlyle staying with, ii. 358 Bunbury, Cecilia (Napier), wife of Colonel Henry Bunbury, 27, 99, 100, 102 Bunbury, Sir Charles James Fox : I. Born at Messina, 1 ; subsequent knowledge of military science, 2 ; at Mildenhall, 2 ; delicate health, 3 ; stay at Southwold, 3 ; repeated visits to Malvern, 6, 7, 8 ; tour on the Wye, 8 ; Derbyshire, 9 ; life and occupations at Malvern, 11-16 ; home education at Milden- hall, 16 ; W. Mathews, tutor, 16 ; London, 21 ; removal to Barton, 22 ; tour, 26-9 ; foreign tour, 32 ; his mother's death, 40 ; her character, 41 ; entered Trinity College, Cambridge, 43 ; travels in Madeira and Brazil, 47-76 ; life in London, 76-87 ; tour in Ireland, 88-92 ; life in London, 93-8 ; stands for Parliament, 98 ; travels and stay at the Cape, 99-125 ; London and Barton, 125- 8 ; British Association, Plymouth, 128-32; Cornwall and Wales, 133-42 ; Cambridge and Ely, 142 ; Pau, 148 ; Rome and Naples, 149-59 ; Sicily, 160-79 ; engage- ment to Miss Horner, 183 ; marriage, 186 ; Scotland, 186-9 ; life at Mildenhall, 190-97 ; Lon- don and Mildenhall, 197-235 ; Abergwynant, 236-440 ; plan of study, 246; Torquay, 253-7; travels in France and Italy, 262- 321 ; Switzerland, 322-32 ; Scot- land, 334r-41 ; notes on Cape botany, 346 ; Scotland, 354-6 ; paper on botany of Buenos Ayres, 358. II. Visit to Madeira and Canaries, 1-61 ; on classification of conifers, ii. 62-8 ; visit to Berlin, ii. 67-76, 79-83 ; visit to Breslau and Dresden, ii. 76-8 ; stay at Malvern, ii. 84-6 ; birth- days, ii. 86-187, 201, 324, 341 ; Sandhurst, ii. 137-9 ; his father's death, ii. 167 ; settling at Barton, ii. 168 ; British Association, Cam- bridge, ii. 178 ; on Lyell's An- tiquity of Man, ii. 182-6 ; on Mr. Horner, ii. 186 ; on geo- graphical distribution, ii. 202-4 ; desultory notes, ii. 213-16 ; on Darwin's theories, ii. 230-2 ; British Association, Norwich, iL 285-8 ; Wells, ii. 269-71 ; visit to Lord Walsingham, ii. 337-8 ; delight in spring, ii. 352, 362 ; Botanical Fragments, ii. 369 ; death, ii. 385 ; tributes from friends, ii. 386 ; list of works and scientific papers, ii. 388. Bunbury, Emily, infant daughter of Sir Henry E. Bunbury, 7. Bunbury, Emily Louisa, Lady : letter from, to C. J. F. Bunbury on his marriage, 186 ; letters to, 36, 66, 67, 61, 88, 94, 161, 163, 210, 279, 334, 346, 354; ii. 4, 60, 64, 67, 88, 168; on Lord Moira, 357 ; on Larpent's Journal, 366 ; anecdote, ii. 139 ; on Lady Hamilton, ii. 140. Bunbury, Edward Herbert, letters to, 95, 106, 124, 187, 270, 292 ; ii. 179, 243, 277 ; mention of, i. 5, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 41, 43, 44, 87, 106, 148, 163, 164, 166, 207, 211, 215, 220, 250, 270 ; ii. 104, 149, 209, 210, 306, 339, 384; on Buckle's History of Civiliza- tion, Indian aifairs, ii. 121 ; on war in Ametica, ii. 168 ; History of Ancient Geography, ii. 368 ; on museum in Tiflis, ii. 287 ; travelling in the East, ii. 277 ; on elephants on Greek coins, ii. 239 ; on Schliemann, ii. 309 ; Transylvania and Servia, ii. 179. Bunbury, Frances Joanna (Lady), wife of Sir C. J. F. Bunbury : letter INDEX 395 to, from Sir H. Bunbury, 186 ; engagement to Sir C. J. F. Bun- bury, 183 ; marriage, 186 ; charit- able work, 213 ; antiquarian zeal, 271; illness, 334, 364; transla- tion of Balbo's lAfe of Dante, 349 ; visit to Madeira and Canaries, ii. 1-51 ; visit to Germany, ii. 67- 83 ; making library catalogue, ii. 218 ; reading Dante, ii. 261 ; death, ii. 386; mentioned, i. 193, 197, 200, 211, 212, 218, 220, 231, 241, 243, 253, 262, 269, 279, 284, 287, 322, 331, 341, 344 ; ii. 61, 90, 99, 110, 116, 136, 175, 177, 178, 186, 188, 201, 243, 247, 263, 295, 323, 356. Bunbury, George, son of Colonel Henry Bunbury, ii. 364 Bunbury, Hanmer, boyhood, 2, 22 ; sent to sea, 29, 30 ; at Battle of Navarino, 36 ; at Genoa, 36 ; mentioned, 39, 40, 83, 94 ; ii. 373 Bunbury, Lieut. -General Sir Henry Edward, letters from, 4, 184, 185, 192 ; letters to, 43, 46, 47, 49, 51, 63, 60, 64, 67, 72, 74, 82, 90, 99, 101, 106, 108, 110, 116, 120, 122, 149, 166, 156, 185, 260, 262, 264, 266, 269, 282, 285, 289, 302, 307, 311, 315, 324, 336 ; ii. 1, 9, 16, 26, 27, 74, 87 ; marriage to L. E. Fox, i. 1 ; love of science, 9, 19 ; directing his son's studies, 12 ; succeeded to estate, 19 ; at Barton, 22 ; Arboretum, 23 ; travels, 26-9 ; political views, 31 ; foreign tour, 32 ; on Napo- leon, 33 ; at Genoa, 39 ; on his wife, 41 ; candidate for Parlia- ment, 98 ; letters from officers, 142 ; life of Sir F. Hanmer, 260 ; Narrative of Military Trans- actions in the Mediterranean from 1806-10, 337; ii. 60; ii. 107 ; on Sir C. Napier and Sir J. Moore, ii. 125 ; on Napoleon, ii. 139 ; on Battle of Montebello, ii. 144 ; on Gyulai's campaign, ii. 145 ; illness, ii, 149, 163 ; on Sicily, ii. 167 ; his death, ii. 167 ; notes on, ii. 213 ; military career, ii. 223 ; MSS. writings, ii. 268 Bunbury, Henry (Colonel), letter to, ii. 223; mentioned, 21, 26, 26, 32, 41, 42, 104, 197 ; ii. 116, 198 ; goes to Australia, 63 ; at Cape, 101 ; at Crimea, ii. 61,63 ; death, ii. 322 Bunbury, Louisa Emilia (Fox), love of botany, 4, 6 ; of gardening, 5, 23 ; her character, 20 ; illness, 20, 24, 30 ; death, 40 ; apprecia- tions, 41 ; mentioned, 11, 21, 25, 26, 29, 32 Bunbury, Sir Thomas Charles, death, 19 Bunbury, William St. Pierre, son of Colonel Henry Bunbury, ii. 364 Bunsen, Chevalier, on war between France and Germany, ii. 266 Burke, Mr., murder of, ii. 365 Burnet, History of his ovm Times, ii. 87, 88-9, 247 Bury St. Edmunds, 5 ; elections, 82, 99 Bury Athenaeum of Archajology and Natural History, opening, 369 ; lecture by Sir C. Bunbury on Madeira and Canaries, ii. 62 ; Lord A. Hervey lectures, ii. 239 ; ii. 266, 257 ; Dickens at, ii. 166 Buwbaumia, 332 Byrne, Mrs. (aunt of Lady Bun- bury), i. 263 ; extract from a letter to, ii. 186 Cactus, 166, 167, 175; ii. 21, 28, 48, 291 Cader Idris, 241 Caerphilly Castle, 9 Caesalpina, 23 CaflFerland, excursion into, 116-22 Caffers, 102-3, 108, 109; con- spiracy of, 114, 146, 147 ; con- ference, 116 ; Stockenstrom, 120 ; war, 257 Calais, landing at, 32 Calamites, 219, 332 ; ii. 53, 69 Galathea, 23 Calcott, Mr., 79, 85 Calcott, Mrs., 79 Callitriche, 343 Galluna, ii. 174 Caltarigione, 174-5 Galycantus, 24 Cambridge, 43, 142 ; life at, 43-6 ; studies at, 45 ; British Association at, ii. 178' Cambridge, Duke of, 200; W. Napier on, ii. 283 Camellia, ii. 86 396 INDEX Campanula, 28, 323 Campbell, Lord, Lives of the Chan- cellors, ii. 189, 243 ; Life, ii. 3&4 Campbell, Pamela, Lady, 187 ; ii. 267 Campbell, Sir Edward, on Sir M. MacMurdo, ii. 262 ; on Zulu war, ii. 344 Campion, 236 Canaries, visit to, ii. 26-51 ; Santa Cruz and Orotavo, 27, 49 ; ascent of Cumbre, 46-8 Candolle, Alphonse de, 328 ; ii. 98 ; Botanical Geography, ii. 106 ; Pro- dromus, ii. 219 Cannes, 269 Canning, George, 31 ; ii. 83 Canning, Lord, ii. 176 Caoutchouc, 97 Cape, visit to, 99-125 ; excursion to CaflFerlaud, 116-22 ; ascent of Table Mountain, 106-7, 109 10 ; Sir G. Napier on, 247 ; Caffer war, 257 ; Prof. Smyth on, 340 ; botany, 103-4, 346 ; orchis, 110 ; scenery, 110-11 ; wars, 144 Cape Town, 99, 100-1, 106, 122, 124 Capel Curig, 141 Capirote (warbler), ii. 50 Capparis, 204 Cappellini, Prof., ii. 149 Caracci, Annibal, 162 Carcasonne, 150 Carclew, house of Sir C. Lemon, 14, 134 Cardon, ii. 31, 33 Cardoon, 169 Careoe, 140 ; ii. 91 Carlyle, Thomas, meetings, 145-6; ii. 368 ; Past and Present, i. 193 ; Life of Sterling, i. 339 ; French Revolution, ii. 198-9 ; death, ii. 358-9 ; Reminiscences, 362 Carnarvon, 140-1 Carpenter, Dr., on currents, ii. 286 Carriage accident in France, 266-7 Carruba, 174, 178, 276 Carya, ii. 93 Caryota, 209 ; ii. 99 Cassia, 62 ; ii. 7 Cashel, 88 Castel Vetrano, 167 Castellamare, 157 Castellani collections at British Museum, ii. 310 Castleton caves, 10 Casuarina, ii. 52 Cataloguing Barton Library, ii. 218 Catalpa, ii. 222, 249, 335 Catasetum, ii. 176 Cattleya, 232 Caubul, massacre of, ii. 349 Caucasus, ii. 288 Caulinia, 342 Cavendish, Lord Frederick, murder of, ii. 366 Cavern of St. Rosalie, 161-2 Cecropia, 66 Cedrus, ii. 170, 173 Genchrus, 368 Cent et Un, by Count de St. Priest, 63 Cephalonian Fir, ii. 227 Cephalonica, by Sir C. Napier, 63 Ceriama, ii. 336 Ceroxylon, 86 Cetraria, 328 Chaillu, Du, on chimpanzee and gorilla, ii. 159 Ghamcebumis, 5 GhamtBrops, 167 Chambers, Robert, 252 Chamounix, visit to, 324 ; botany of, 328 Chapman, Archdeacon, ii. 309 Ghara, 343 ; wax model, 297 Cheddar cliffs, visit to, ii. 271 Cheilanthus, ii. 14 Chelsea, 83 Cheltenham, 7, 8 Chemistry, study of, 19 Chepstow, 8, 9 Chesney, Colonel, on Waterloo, ii. 247 Chester, 244 Chestnuts, ii. 11, 15, 19, 23, 38, 39, 96 Children, Mr. , of British Museum, 21 Chillon, 329 Chinese, opium, 143; character, 144 Chionis, ii. 336 Ghylocladia, 256 Cicero, de Senectute, 366 ; ii. 379, 383 ; Middleton's life of, ii. 118 Cinchona, 85 ; ii. 74, VM, 290, 333 Cineraria, ii. 31, 36, 86 Ginnamomum, 301 Gistus, 37 Gladium, ii. 91 Clark, Sir A., ii. 385 Clark, Mr., of Trinity, ii. 223, 249 Clarke (married Miss S. Napier), at the Cape, 147, 257 Classical studies, 18, 25 INDEX 397 Clova Mountains, 187-8 ; geology of, ii. 253-4 Clovelly, 29 Clover, ii. 231 Cohcea, ii. 223 Cobden, 246 Cochineal, ii. 6-12 Cockburn, Lord, 336, 338, 339, 340, 341 Cocos, ii. 99 Codrington, Sir Edward, 29, 36, 39 Codrington, Sir W., ii. 373 Co£Fee, shrub, ii. 2, 4, 12, 15, 20, 21,40 Colbourne, Sir J., 28 Col de Balme, 325 Colenso, Bishop, on Zulu war, ii. 345 Coleridge, ii. 325, 327; Miss Fox on, i. 78 College of Surgeons, 197-8 Colonial possessions, government of, 336-7 Colonists, grievances, 118-19 Gomarum, 26 Combatina, sulphur mines, 172 Combehurst, residence of Mr. S. Smith, ii. 103, 356 Compositte, 70 ; ii. 92 Oomptonia, ii. 93, 96 Conifers, ii. 52, 96, 338 ; classifica- tion, ii. 66-8; Humboldt on, ii. 70 Convolvulus, 162, 166 Conybeare (Dean of Llandaff), 226 Corallines,134 Corcovado, 66 Cork-tree, ii. 302 Corn, 160, 167, 174 ; variabiKty of, 199 Corn Laws, repeal of, 215, 219-21, 246 Comus, 6 Cornwall, travels, 133 ; recollec- tions, ii. 361 Coronilla, 300 Coronopus, 59 Cots wolds, 11 Couch, Mr. (the Ichthyologist), 129, 131 Cow-tree, 97 Cowslip (relation to primrose), ii. 92, 135 Cox, Dr., librarian of the Bodleian, ii. 355 Crabbe on Old Age, ii. 379-80 Cranesbill, 8 Crimean war, ii. 61, 03, 64, 65 Orithmum, 134 Crocus, ii. 191, 382 Cromer, 25 Crossbill, 127 Cryptogamma, ii. 268 Cryptmnerm, ii. 227 Cullum, Lady, ii. 188, 191, 194, 322 Cupresms, ii. 5, 70, 238 Currency in America, ii. 261 Custard apple, ii. 20, 21 Oyathea, 231 ; ii. 110 Cycas, ii. 52, 57, 190 Cyclamen, 163 Gynodon, 136 Gyperus, 178 Gystopteris, ii. 13, 181 Cytinus, ii. 42 Cytisus, ii. 39 Dacre, Lady, 85 Daniell's Rural Sports, 14 Dante, 312, 334 ; ii. 251 Darea, 209 Darwin, Charles, 95, 141, 213, 230, 362-3 ; on geographical distribu- tion, ii. 91, 98, 202, 204; on origin of species, ii. 92, 129-30, 136, 160, 152, 154-6; on orchids, ii. 176 ; sexual selection, ii. 284, 287 ; death and appreciation, ii. 365; Hooker on, ii. 227, 236; remarks on his theory, ii. 230-33 Darwin, Dr., the poet, ii. 232 Darwin,Erasmus, ii. 96, 123, 149, 175 Darwin, George (Sir), on Rocky Mountains, ii. 285-6 Date palm, ii. 21 Datura, ii. 2, 4, 10, 20, 22 Daucus, 135 Davallia, 232 ; ii. 6, 7, 13, 23, 24, 36, 38, 41, 128 David Copperfield, 366 ; ii. 166 Dawes, Dean of Hereford, 344, 347 Dawlish, 27 Dawson on fossils of NovaScotia, 218 Dawson, Turner, 26 Deadnettle, yellow, 236 Deer introduced by Romans, ii. 239 Delessert, Baron, herbarium, 252 Deodara, ii. 227, 238, 262, 345 Derby, Lord, witticisms, 356 ; trans- lation of the Iliad, ii. 192 Derbyshire, 9, 10 Desmodiwm, ii. 99 Devonport, 128 398 INDEX Diallage rock, 276 Diapensia, 214 Dickens' reading of David Copper- field, ii. 166 Dicranium, 383 Dicynodon, ii. 160 Didymoehlaena, 232 Dillenius, mosses, 26 ; herbarium at Oxford, ii. 354 Dimorphism in Rubiacese, ii. 264 Disa (orchid on Table Mountain), 110 Disraeli (see Beaconsfield) Dog, anecdote of, 248 Dolgelly, 241 Don, Mr., 96 Donne, Mr., ii. 193 Doria, Palazzo at Genoa, 278 Dmim Palm, ii. 346 Dracena (see Dragon tree) Dragon-fly, 180 Dragon tree, ii. 21, 29, 36, 36, 37, 39, 333 Drawing, love of, 13, 24 Drimys, ii. 65, 203 Dromoland Castle, 90, 91 Drosera, 27 ; ii. 202 Druidical relics at Thetford, 127 Dryandra, 208 Drynaria, 231 Dublin, 92 Dugdale, Mrs., on Macaulay's Life, ii. 328 Dunraven, Lord, 91 Dutch colonists at the Cape, 102, 110-11, 112-13, 119, 124, 144 D'Urban, Sir Benjamin, 103, 106, 109 Durian, ii. 333 Eagle, Bateleur, ii. 161 Eagle, Mr., collection of mosses and lichens, ii. 107 Eastlake, Sir C, ii. 98 Echinoeactus, 209 Echinoderm, ii. 102 Echium, 162 ; ii. 23 Eclipse, 62, 87 Edgeworth, Mr. Pakenham, 180 ; ii. 162 ; on trees in India, ii. 238 Edgeworth, Miss, Memoirs, ii. 220 Edinburgh, visits to, 334-41, 354-0 Egypt,ii. 100,340,366; Mr. Horner, on, ii. 117 ; anecdote of Viceroy, ii. 248 Egyptian paintings in British Museum, 93 Elections at Bury, 82 Elephants (fossil), ii. 249, 260 Elk, ii. 134 Elliot, Miss, on Carlyle and Froude, ii. 362 Elm, ii. 270, 357 Ely, Bishop of (Woodford), ii. 309- 10 Ely Cathedral, 142-3, 250; ii. 127 Embley, visit to Mr. S. Smith at, ii. 356 Endlicher, Humboldt on, ii. 70 Entomology, study of, 19 ; of Mt. Cenis Pass, 324 Ephedra, ii. 52, 186 Epilobium, 325 Equisetum, 331, 369 ; ii. 58, 126 Eranthis, ii. 153, 188, 382 Erica, 37, 97, 104, 135, 240-1 ; ii. 12, 16, 23, 29, 32, 39, 43, 45, 46, 47, 60, 92, 174 Erskine, Mr. and Mrs., on India, 259 Eryngo, 169 Erythrcea, 135 Escullonia, ii. 203 Escobon, ii. 39 Etna, 176 Eucalyptus, ii. 4 Euphorbia, 27, 111, 209, 276 ; ii. 26, 30, 32, 33, 34, 37 Europe, politics of, 294, 296 Euterpe, ii. 333 Everlasting, 104 Eversley Rectory, ii. 139, 161 Exeter, 26, 253 Exhibition, 1851, 345 Extinct animals, British Museum, 180 Fabre, experiments on wheat, 366 Falcon, peregrine, ii. 261 Falconer, Dr., on the Sikhs, 226 ; on inscriptions, 232 ; on geology of India, 259 Faraday, Mr., Miss Fox on, 77 Farming in Suifolk, Henslow on, 195-6 Faya, ii. 46-7 Fellowes, Sir C, on climate of Lycia, 205 ; mentioned 251, 360 Fennel (see Ferula) Fennell, Maria (nurse to C. J. F. Bunbury), 7, 11 Ferguson, Sir J. , on American war ; ii. 168 ; on Iloly Sepulchre, ii. 173 ; on Buddhism, ii. 237 INDEX 399 Fermayj 88 Ferns, 56, 72, 86, 191-2, 209, 219, 230, 240, 331, 349 ; ii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 86, 99, 100, 108, 121, 147, 211, 333, 338, 346 Ferula, 69, 69, 300 Festuca, 139 Figs, 160, 165, 167, 178, 277 ; ii. 7, 19, 21, 40, 49, 148 Fir trees, 204, 230 Fisher, Mr. Osmond, on Denuda- tion of Norfolk, ii. 236 Fissidens, ii. 60 Flamingoes, ii. 301 Flints, origin of, ii. 101-2 Flora Antarctica, Hooker's, 358, 365 Flora of Auckland Islands, 230 Flora, India, 358 Flora, Miocene, ii. 94 Florence, visits to, 286-8, 313; Chamber of Deputies, 317 Florence, Walks in, by S. and J. Horner, ii. 298, 303 Forbes, Edward, mention of, 199, 205, 215, 252, 335, 360 ; lecture, 226-8 ; on geology of Isle of Wight, 362 ; fossil plants, ii. 57- 8 ; on Barrandes, ii. 105 ; death, ii. 63, 64 Forest, submerged, 255 Forget-me-not, 236 Fossil animals, 198 Fossil botany (see Botany, fossil) Fossil collection, 200, ii. 101 Fourcroya, 209 Fowey, 'l33, 184 Fox, Miss Caroline, on Sir J. Mackintosh, 76, 77 ; on Faraday, 77 ; on Coleridge, J. Bentham, 78-9 ; Sydney Smith, 94, 98, 187 ; death, 203 ; ii. 176 Fox, Caroline (see Napier) Fox, Charles James, Memoirs, 365 Fox, Charles James, Mrs., visit to, ii. 361 Fox, Henry Stephen, minister at Rio de Janeiro, letters to, 69, 71 ; letter to, from Sir Henry Bunbury, 41 ; death, 250-1 ; col- lection, 354 ; mentioned, 46, 51, 66, 61, 62, 63 ; anecdote of, ii. 273 Fox, le petit, 64 Fox, Hon. General Henry, 1 Fox, Louisa Emilia (see Bunbury), 1 Foxglove, 236, 240, 243 France, civil war, ii. 275 France, journeys, 32-5, 148, 262- 72 ; conditions, 355 Franco-German battlefielda,ii. 282-4 Franco-German war, ii. 266-7, 268- 9 ; 272-3 Franks, Mr., on Junius' Letters, ii. 235 Frederick William IV of Prussia, ii. 71 Freeman, Augusta, 251 Free trade, etc., 219-21 Frere, Sir Bartle, on Livingstone, de Foe, etc. ; ii. 280-2 ; Zulu war, ii. 344-5 Frigate bird, ii. 301 Fritton bog, 25 Froude, English in Ireland, ii. 312 ; on Carlyle, ii. 362 Fuchsia, 134 ; ii. 14, 15, 22, 203 Fucoids, 272, 274, 297 Fucus, 134, 241, 256 Funchal. 47 ; ii. 1, 2, 16 Future life, Kingsley on, ii. 313 Galeobdolon, 7 Galtheriii, ii. 203 Galton, Francis, on physical geo- graphy of Africa, ii. 159 Gambier, Parry, on trees and on Dalmatia, ii. 249 Gardening, his mother's love of, 5 Gardens at Barton, 19, 23-4, 126 ; ii. 86, 222, 336 Gardens at Carclew, 134 Garlick, 240 Gaylussacia, ii. 203 Geinitz, Prof., geological collec- tion, ii. 78 ; on stigmaria, ii. 77, 78 Oelsemium, ii. 99 Geneva, 322 Genista, 135 Genoa, visits to, 35-6, 40-2, 160, 278-82, 322 Gentiana, 70, 328 ; ii. 106, 378 Geographical distribution, 224, 226-8 Geological Society, 22, 78, 87, 95, 194, 207, 218, 225, 234, 269, 362 ; ii. 171 Geology, 207, 218-19, 222, 226-8, 331-2; ii. 14, 77-8, 93, 101, 105-6, 138, 160, 171, 182-4, 189, 190, 200, 234, 236, 237, 248, 251-4, 260, 263, 808 400 INDEX Geologyj first liking of, 9 ; of Brazil, 64, 65, 70, 73 ; of Can- aries, ii. 31, 34, 42, 43-4; of Italy, i. 296-8, 301 ; of Isle of Wight, i. 351-2, 362 ; of India, i. 269-60; of Land's End, i. 138; of Madeira, ii. 7 ; of Malvern, ii. 84-6 ; of Riviera, i. 272, 274r-7 ; of coal of Saarbriick, ii. 68 Geranium, 8, 136 Germany, visit to, ii. 67-83 Geysers near Girgenti, 172-3 Gibbon, quotation, 32 ; Bible be- longing to, 329 ; Decline and Fall, 30 ; I^e of, 336 Gibson, John, the sculptor, 291, 310 ; anecdotes about life in Rome, ii. 102-3 ; death, ii. 202 Gibson, Mrs. Milner, 259 Gioberti, 319, 320 Girgenti, 169-73 Glastonbury, visit to, ii. 270 Glaucium, 6 Gleig, Mr. , chaplain at Chelsea, 84 Glen Roy, parallel roads of, ii. 251-4, 268 Globularia, 39 Gnaphalium, 323 Gnetum, ii. 186 Gogmagog Hills, 142 Gold mines in Brazil, 68, 71 Gomphocarpus, ii. 14 Gongo Soco, 67-8, 71-6 Goppert, Prof., of Breslau, on stig- maria, ii. 76 Gordon, General, ii. 380, 381-2, 383 Gore, Mr. (see Arran) Gough, Sir H., 229 Graham's Town, 110, 116, 120 Granite, Cornish, 138 Grasses, ii. 63 Gray, Asa, on Botanical Fragments, ii. 371 Gray's Elegy, ii. 133 Greenland, Whymper and Lyell on, ii. 237 Greenougli, Mr., 95 Gregory XVI, Pope, 246-7 Greig, Mr., 80, 83 Grevillea, 134, 208 Grey, Sir Frederick, ii. 14, 19 ; visit to, ii. 233, 327; death, appreciation of, ii. 336 Grey, Lady, ii. 19, 233; on Norway, ii. 289 Grey, Sir G., on the colonies, ii. 247 ; on missions in South Africa, ii. 151 Griffiths, Mrs. (algologist), 256-7 Grimm brothers, ii. 71 Grote on the ballot, 82 ; History of Greece, ii. 298 Grouse, Kingsley on, ii. 244 Guava, ii. 20 Gwyn, Mrs. (Goldsmith's Jessamy Bride), 4, 20, 45, 83, 94 Crymnogramme, 232 ; ii. 36, 41 Habenaria, ii. 202 Halidrys, 255 Hallam, 192, 199, 201, 222; his Middle Ages, 30 ; Constitutional History, ii. 247 Hamilton, Lady, ii. 140 Hampden controversy, 84-5 Hampshire, tour in, 19 Hanmer, Sir Thomas, Life of, by Sir H. Bunbury, 260 Hanmer, Lord, dinner at, ii. 328 Harcourt, Prof., and Mrs. Vernon, at Oxford, ii. 354-5 Hardenhergias, 208 Harpy tomb, British Museum, 181-2 Hartung, Mr. (naturalist at Ma- deira), ii. 8, 16 Harvey, Mr. (botanist), 106, 106, 107, 109, 110, 363, 366 ; his Sea- side hook, 346-7 Hawaii, Lord C. Hervey on, ii. 274 Hawkwood, Sir J., MS. by Sir H. Bunbury on, ii. 258 Haydon's Life, ii. 89 Head, Sir Edmund, ii. 191, 208, 223 ; death, appreciation, 228 Head, Lady, ii. 191, 208, 304, 338 Heath {see Erica) Heer, Prof., letter to C. Lyell, ii. 93 6 Heidelberg, fossil collection at, 332 Helianthemum, ii. 42 Heliotrope, ii. 7 Helix, ii. 8, 34 Help's Animals and their Masters, ii. 312 Hemitelia, 209, 231 Henslow,Prof.,on labour in Suffolk, 195 ; on variation, ii. 92 ; men- tioned, i. 357, ii. 108 Hepatica, ii. 171 Herculaneum, 158 Hemiaria, 136 INDEX 401 Herschel, Sir J., 102, 105 ; death, ii. 276 Hervey, Lord Arthur, ii. 59, 127, 188, 191, 194, 196, 198, 208, 209, 256-7, 292 ; opening of Athen- fflum at Bury, i. 369 ; lecture on Napoleon, ii. 239 ; party at, ii, 243 ; lecture on Waterloo, ii. 255 Bishop of Bath and Wells, ii. 254 visit to, ii. 269-71 Hervey, Lord Charles, ii. 280 ; on earthquakes, on vegetation of Hawaii and California, ii. 273 ; his conversations, ii. 349 Hervey, Lord John, visit to Paris, ii. 276 Hervey, Sarah, ii. 179, 251 Hicks-Beach, Sir M., Zulu war, ii. 344 Highgate, visit to, 360-2 Hildburghausen, fossils, 332 Hill, Sir Rowland, death of, ii. 348 Hillard, Mr., on English and American civilization, ii. 148 Himanthalia, 255 Hindoo University, ruins, 234-5 Hodge, epigram on Mr., ii. 125 Holland House, 79 ; ii. 311 Holland House, Little, 78, 84, 85 ; ii. 175 Holland, Lady, 216 Holland, Lord, 79 Holly, ii. 46 Honiton, 26 Hook, Dean, ii. 326 Hooker, Sir Joseph, mentioned, 97, 233, 234, 261, 252, 346, 363, 364, 367, 358, 360, 361, 362-3; ii.- 64, 60, 210, 211, 245, 263, 326, 330-1, 332, 334, 352, 378 ; first meeting, 229 ; on effect of vegetation on climate, 251 ; on cotton cultivation in India, 361 ; on experiments on wheat, 366 ; on classification of conifers, ii. 52, 53-7 ; on fossil plants, ii. 68-9 ; on species, ii. 92, 96, 129, 154 ; on exploring expeditions, ii. 96 ; on Equisetum, ii. 126 ; on fossil plants, ii. 131 ; on British Museum, ii. 132, 242 ; on trees, ii. 148, 264 ; on Flora of Aus- tralia, ii. 154 ; on vegetation of Clarence Peak, ii. 161 ; on oaks in Syria, ii. 166 ; on cedars of Lebanon, ii. 170 ; on ^Velwits- II.— 2 D chea, etc., ii. 172-3, 185-6 ; on Darwin's orchids, ii. 176 ; his character, etc., ii. 226-7 ; return from Morocco, ii. 277 ; on dis- tribution of plants, ii. 202-4 ; on garden ferns, ii. 222 ; address at British Association, ii. 236 ; on vegetation at the Poles, ii. 285 ; on Proteacese, ii. 347 Hooker, Sir William, 204 ; ii. 219 Hookeria, ii. 88 Hornbeam, ii. 95 Hornbills, ii. 300 Horner, Frances J. (see Bunbury) Horner, Joanna, letters to, ii. 188, 191, 206, 208, 247, 250, 276, 382 ; mentioned, i. 193 ; ii. 162, 304 Horner, Katharine (see Mrs. H. Lyell) Horner, Leonard, f.b.s., letters to, 194, 296, 335, 339, 340, 351 ; ii. 60, 62, 63, 84, 103, 116, 117; president of Geological Society, 194 ; on geology of Malvern Hills, ii. 86 ; on Egypt, ii. 117 ; on Mackintosh and Romilly, ii. 134 ; death and appreciation, ii. 186 ; mentioned, i. 197, 200, 202, 226, 234, 252, 269 ; ii. 122, 131, 161, 177 Horner, Mrs. Leonard, letters to, 197, 350, 371 ; her death, ii. 177 Horner, Leonora (see Mrs. Pertz) Horner, Susan, letters to, ii. 197, 298, 303, 342, 364; mentioned, i. 126, 180, 197, 231, 262, 269, 280, 284, 287, 296, 309, 346, 363 ; ii. 147, 160, 179, 276, 293, 369; shipwreck, i. 311 ; Walks in Florence, ii. 298, 303; visit to Rome, 303 Horse-chestnut, ii. 223 Horses, Barbary, ii. 277 Houghton, Lord (see Milnes) House-leek, ii. 27 House of Commons, ladies admitted to gallery, 86 Hmistonia, ii. 99 Hughes, Prof, ii. 362, 363 Humboldt, Alexander, von, 10, 64, 86, 86, 96, 97 ; ii. 48, 60, 104 ; on dragon tree, ii. 36 ; volcanoes, ii. 69 ; aluminium, ii. 69 ; inter- views with, ii. 68, 69-71, 72-3, 74, 76, 81, 83 ; on botany, ii. 70 ; mosquitoes in Mexico, etc., ii. 402 INDEX 71; astronomy, etc., ii. 72-3; Cinchona, ii. 74 ; Caffers, dis- tribution of plants, dL 82 ; E. India, Warren Hastings, Can- ning, ii. 83 ; on Bonplajid, ii. 128 ; death, ii. 140-2 Huxley, ii. 162, 361 ; on geology, ii. 160 ; on sponge from Japan, ii. 166 ; on palaeontology, ii. 171 ; on man's place in nature, ii. 186 Hyalonema (sponge), ii. 165 Hymenophyllum, ii. 268 Hypericum, ii. 22, 36, 38, 45, 47, 202 Hypnum, 254, 333 ; ii. 14, 60, 90, 134 Hyssop, 204 Ickworth, ii. 267 Hex, 37 Ilfraoombe, 29 India, 79, 234 ; botany, 180 ; ii. 346, 360 ; waj- (1846), 226, 229 ; Erskine on, i. 25fl; geology, i. 269-60; Mutiny, ii. 117, 120 ; books on, ii. 118 ; L. Mallet on, ii. 292-3, 306, 329, 339; war (1879), ii. 339 ; Mrs. Lyell in, i. 353 India-rubber, ii. 333 Indigo plant, 349 Inkerman, battle of, ii. 64 Inscriptions in Babylon and Perse- polis, 232 Insects, collection of, ii. 337 Ipomea, ii. 2, 20 Ireland, tour in, 87-8 ; difference from English, 89, 92 ; condition in 1836, 89-91 ; rebellion, 327 Isandula, ii. 343 Isola, Mr., 279, 283 Itacolumi, 69, 72 Italy, tour in, 40-2, 262-321 ; poli- tics, 279-82, 285, 286-7, 290, 314, 316, 321, 326; War of Liberation (1848), ii. 133 ; war (1859), ii. 143, 148 Jameson, Mrs., i. 365 ; ii. 60, 96, 98 Jasminum, 34 ; ii. 86 Jeffrey, Lord, death, 339 Jofenstone, Sir Alexander, 200 ; on Hindoo ruins, 234 Jones, Mr., 203 Jones, Rev. Harry, ii. 367 Josephine, prophecy to Empress, ii. 123 Judas tree, 154, 164 Juglans, ii. 93 Jungermarme, ii. 60 Juniperus, ii. 97 Jussieu, ii. Ill Justicia, 23 Juvenal, 127 Kalmoa, 23 Kaulbach, ii. 76 Kennedias, 208 Keppel, Captain, ii. 9, 19 Kestrel, ii. 34, 40 Kew Gardens, visits to, 183, 208, 231, 234 ; ii. 99, 147 Killarney, 92 Kingsley, Charles, ii. 166, 163, 191-2, 198, 228, 287, 296, 300 ; on natural history of Eversley, ii. 138 ; Origin of Species, ii. 151, 204 ; flint implements, ii. 162 ; at British Association, ii. 178 ; on monasticism, superstition, etc., ii. 195-7, 204-5, 246 ; visit of, ii. 218 ; sermon, ii. 219 ; on Chris- tianity and Buddhism, ii. 229 ; Swinburne and Froude, ii. 230 ; matrimony, ii. 244-5 ; miscella- neous subjects, iL 245-6 ; visit to West Indies, ii. 262, 289; Franco-German war, iL 265-7-9 ; Canon of Westminster, ii. 299 ; cork tree, ii. 302 ; sermon, ii. 302 ; future life, ii. 313 ; North America, ii. 314 ; sermon, ii. 315 ; appreciation, ii. 317-19 ; works, ii. 319-20; illness and death, ii. 317, 322 Kingsley, Mrs., ii. 198, 244, 245 Kingsley, Dr. George, on Yellow- stone, ii. 326 Kingsley, Maurice, on snakes in America, ii. 301-2 Kingsley, Rose, ii. 244 ; on Mexico, Colorado, ii. 296-8 ; dried plants, ii. 326 ; visit, ii. 324 ; on West Indies, North America, ii. 327-8 ; winter in Canada, ii. 326 ; on Dean Stanley, ii. 363 King's Weston, ii. 271-2 Kinnordy, 333-4 Kite, ii. 40 Kynance Cove, 135 Labrodorite, ii. 81 Laburnum, ii. 127 INDEX 403 La Cava, 157 Lagerstroeniia, ii. 346 Lagetta, 208 Lakes, visit to, 188 Lamartine, M. and Madame, ii. Ill Lamium, 7 Lanfrey's Napoleon, ii. 247 Lansdoune House, 84^6 Larpent^s Journal, 364 Lastrea, 29 LathrcBU, 10 Laugier, Madame, ii. 113 Launceston, 28 Laurus, ii. 13, 16, 23, 43, SO Laurustinus, 300 ; ii. 43 Lava of Etna, 176 Lavender, ii. 27, 31, 33 Leaves, venation of, ii. 108 Leoky, his History of Rationalism, ii. 197-8, 210, 211, 247 ; History of England, ii. 364 Leghorn, 160 Leguminosse, 208 Lemna, 343 ; ii. 66 Lemon trees, 164, 178, 273 ; ii. 40 Lemon, Sir Charles, 14, 134, 200 ; on trees, ii. 100, 361 Leonhard, Prof., 332 Lepidodendron, 219 ; ii. 78, 150 Leriodendron, ii. 96 Librocedras, ii. 77 Lichens, 33 ; ii. 24, 107 lAcuala, 209 Lilford, Lord, on Sardinian gull, ii. 312 Lilies of the valley, ii. 289 Limerick, 90, 92 Limnooharis, 134 Lindley, Dr., 46, 182, 194 ; ii. 214 Linnseus on primula, ii. 92 ; on species, ii. 135 ; on Plants Hybridal, ii. 212 Linnea, 214 ; ii. 289 Linnean Society, 85, 86, 96 ; ii. 97, 128, 129, 134, 161, 164, 176, 219, 233 Liquidamber, ii. 93, 95 Lisianthus, 70 Livingstone, ii. 256, 280 Lizard Point, 135 Llanberis Pass, 139, 140 Llandovery, 9 Llyn Orwen, 141 Lobelia, ii. 268 Lock, Mrs. and Miss Cecilia, 14 Logan Rock, 137 LoganiaceiB, ii. 99 London, 21, 180, 233, 251, 366; ii. 96-103, 131, 147-9, 168, 171, 192, 250, 267 Louis Napoleon and Louis XVIII, anecdote of, 370 Lowe, Mr. , in Madeira, ii. 8 Lowea, 182 Lubbock, ii. 236 Lungwort, 153 Lyceum, visit to, ii. 100 Lycia, 205 Lycopodium, 28, 29, 231 ; ii. 63, 54, 138, 182, 211, 231 Lyell (Sir) Charles, letters to, 192, 211, 214, 322, 340, 342, 366 ; ii. 62, 64, 68, 76, 90, 93, 104, 126, 141, 166, 181, 190, 199, 202, 212, 230, 263, 284, 308 ; Principles of Geology, i. 46; ii. 209-11, 213, 284 ; America, i. 248-60 ; ii. 168, 261 ; America, Tratiels in, i. 211, 220, 336, 360 ; Manual of Geology, i. 345 ; visit to Madeira and Canaries, ii. 1-61 ; lecture at Bury, ii. 86 ; at Salzburg, ii. 103-4 ; St. Cassian and Hallstadt beds, ii. 106 ; criticism of, ii. 109, 303 ; glaciers, ii. 116 ; Italy, ii. 117; R. Brown, ii. 127; on natural selection, etc., ii. 129-30, 150, 216, 217-18, 228, 230-3; on poetry, ii. 133 ; on Etna, ii. 142 ; flint implements, ii. 149- 60, 241-2; on Prince Albert, ii. 169; Welwitschia, ii. 173- 4 ; Antiquity of Man, ii. 181, 182-5 ; Elements of Geology, ii. 189, 190-1, 272; glacial deposits, Norfolk, ii. 236 ; on Greenland, ii. 237 ; turquoise mines, ii. 239 ; Glen Roy, ii. 261-4-8; fossil seeds, ii. 260 ; seal, ii. 263 ; Sigillaria, ii. 263 ; illness, ii. 316, 317 ; death and appreciation of, ii. 320-2 ; Ufe of, ii. 364 Lyell, Henry, Colonel, mentioned, •» 229, 333, 358 ; ii. 122, 307, 317-20 Lyell, Leonard (now Sir), ii. 162, 221, 263 ; on geology of Clova mountains, 251, 263-4 Lyell, Mr. C, of Kinnordy (father of Sir C. Lyell), letter to, 312 ; mentioned, 186, 189, 334 ; death, 336 Lyell, Mrs. Charles (Lady), letters 404 INDEX to, 191, 193, 212, 233, 299, 328, 344; mentioned, 125, 187, 190, 212, 248, 250, 333, 360, 361 ; ii. 1-86, 117, 130-1, 228, 291; death and appreciation of, 299- 300 Lyell, Mrs. Henry (Katharine Hor- ner), letters to, 332, 345, 347, 352, 368 ; ii. 20, 65, 86, 89, 107, 120, 149, 166, 158, 177, 178, 187, 201, 218, 220, 221, 222, 226, 256, 268, 287, 324, 361, 371, 375, 377, 381 ; mentioned, i. 190, 202, 204, 209, 349, 351, 363, 367 ; ii. 65, 134, 147, 150, 162, 171, 176, 211, 236, 238, 267, 300, 330-1, 347, 352, 357, 364, 372 Lygodium, 209, 232 Lyons, 264-5 lA/simachia, 240 Lythraria, 70 Macaluba, near Girgenti, 172 Macnab, Mr., of Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, 334 Macaulay, Mrs. Somerville on, 80 ; his History, ii. 87, 88, 89 Macigno, formation in Italy, 297 Mackintosh, Sir James, 76-7, 81 ; ii. 134, 224, 276 MacMahon coup d'etat, ii. 334 MacMurdo, Arthur, ii. 337, 364 MacMurdo, General Sir Montagu, his ability, ii. 244 ; Sir E. Camp- bell on, ii. 262 Madeira, visit to, 1833, 47-8 ; 1863, ii. 1-25 ; emigration from, ii. 3 ; church of S. Gonzalo, ii. 6 ; Little Curral, ii. 11, 12, 22 ; Jardin da Serra,ii.l6; N. ofisland,ii.l6-18; PontaDelgada,ii. 17; Santa Anna, ii. 18 ; botany of, ii. 7, 10, 13, 16, 16, 20-4 ; climate, ii. 10 ; fossil leaves, ii. 108 ; gardens, ii. 4 ; geology, ii. 7, 14 ; natural history, ii. 8 ; peasantry, ii. 12 ; scenery, ii. 13, 17 ; winter, ii. 19 Magdeburg, ii. 67 Magenta, battle of, ii. 146 Magnolia, 23, 24, 134, 215, 360 ; ii. 4, 66, 92, 227, 335 Majuba, ii. 369 Mallet, Charles, ii. 176, 327, 330 Mallei, Sir Louis, ii. 210, 308, 327, 384; on India, ii. 292-3, 306, 307, 329, 339; on Bright and J. S. Mill, ii. 307 ; on MacMahon, ii 334 ; on Whitbread, ii. 340 Malmesbury, Lord, his life, ii. 378 Malta, 159 Malvern, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 26 ; geology of, ii. 84-5 Malvern, Wells, ii. 84-6 Mamiani, Count, 279, 304 Manettia, ii. 99 Mangosteen, ii. 333 Mangrove, ii. 333 Mantell, Dr., 219 Mantis, praying, 35 Map, Elizabethan, ii. 360 Marattia, 231 Marcet, Mr. and Mrs. Frank, 328 March, Mr., Brazil, 61-2 Marictn, 69 Marine animals at Zoological Gar- dens, 363 Markham, Captain, ii. 334 Markham, Sir Clements, ii. 202 ; on Cinchona trees, ii. 290 ; on zoology of Polar regions, ii. 334 ; on Elizabethan map, ii. 360; the Vega, ii. 350-1 Marlborough, Duke of. Sir W. Napier on, 364 Marseilles, 266 Marsupials, Owen on, 130 Martins, von, botany of Brazil, 364 Marygold, 166 Masdevallia, 232 Maskelyn, Mrs., ii. 330 Mastic {see Pistacea) Mate tree, 208 Matlock, 9, 10 Matthews, Charles Skinner, 16 Matthews, Frederick Hoskyns, 16, 17, 24, 44 ; death and apprecia- tion, ii. 367-9 Matthews, Henry, 16 Matthieu, Mr., anecdote of Louis Philippe, ii. 113 Matthiola, ii. 33 Maurice, Mr. Fredk., ii. 176, 210; his conversation, ii. 194 Maynooth question, 210 Mecanopsis, ii. 268 Melastomaceae, 62, 70, 208 Melia, 164 Menai Bridge, 141 Mentone, 273 Merivale, H., 362; on Lyell's Travels in N. America, i. 220 ; ii. 123 ; Rome, 189 INDEX 405 Mermaids, 131 Merton, Lord Walsingham's seat, ii. 337-8 Messina, 1, 169 Meteoric iron, ii. 79 Meteors, 78, 181 Metz, battle near, ii. 266 Mexico, Humboldt on, ii. 71 Middleton's Ufe of Cicero, 336, 338 ; ii. 118 Mildenhall, 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16, 20, 21, 26, 116-21, 143, 185, 190, 193, 194, 197, 212, 262-3, 342- 50, 360 ; ii. 62, 86-96, 103-109, 126, 142-6, 149, 163 ; garden at, i. 6 ; allotments at, 192 Miles, Philip, ii. 272 Mill, John Stuart, on the ballot, 82 ; autobiography, ii. 303 ; Ben- tham on, 315 Miller, Hugh, Old Red Sandstone, 202, 335 Milman, Dean, 200, 261 ; epigram, ii. 125 ; on Froude, 363 Milner, Gibson, 269 Milnes, Monckton (Lord Hough- ton), 43, 200, 259, 362 ; ii. 383-4 Milton, Lord, 76 Mineralogy, 9, 19, 22, 66, 97, 98, 125, 181 Minerals at British Museum, 21, 93 ; at Florence, 297 ; at Berlin, ii. 79-81 Mines, 71 ; at Gongo Soco, 68 Missouri Leviathan, 181 Mitford's Greece, 30 Mitscherlich, ii. 71 Moggridge (the botanist), ii. 330 Mohun Lall, 200 Moira, Lord, 357 MonacanthiLS , ii. 176 Monasticism, Kingsley on, ii. 196, 204 Monmouth, 8 Monreali, 164^5 Montanvert, 324 Montebello, battle of, ii. 143 Monte Alegro, Sicily, 168-9 Monte Video, 60 Montpellier, 160 Moore, Sir J., life, 367 Moore, John Carrick, 192, 211, 221, 269, 362 ; ii. 193, 291 ; on Egypt, ii. 346 Moore, Sir Graham, 26, 128 II.— 2 D 2 Moore, Miss Julia, 262 Moris, Prof., Italian botanist, 320, 323 Morizia, ii. 233 Morocco, botany of, ii. 346 Moroea, 69 Mosquitos, Humboldt on, ii. 71 Mosses, 24, 26, 240, 241, 331, 332, 333, 349 ; ii. 24, 60, 88, 90, 92, 107, 134, 194 Motley, anecdote of, ii. 131 ; Dutch Republic, 163-8 Mulberry, 160, 166, 277 Munro, Ufe of Sir Th., ii. 118, 121 Murchison, Sir R., 80, 83, 87, 207, 222, 226, 296, 297, 301, 360 ; ii. 171, 193, 224, 264, 278 Murray, Captain, on Egypt, the East, etc., ii. 100-1 Mylodon, 197 Myrica, ii. 38, 60, 92 Myriophyllum, 26 Myrtle, 37 Naja (snake) at Zoological Gardens, ii. 353 Napier, Caroline, wife of Sir W. Napier, 6, 29 ; letter from, 183 Napier, Caroline, daughter of Sir W. Napier, 363 Napier, Cecilia, daughter of Sir G. Napier, married Col. H. Bun- bury, 27, 99, 100, 102, 126 Napier, General Sir Charles, g.c.b., his book on Cephalonia, 63 ; victory in Scinde, 159 ; at Nice, 269-70 ; death, 368 Napier, Emily, wife of General William Napier, ii. 137 Napier, Miss Emily Louisa, second wife of Sir H. E. Bunbury {see Bunbury, Emily) Napier, General Sir George, Gover- nor of the Cape, 27, 99, 100, 103, 104, 106, 106, 107, 119-20, 121, 145, 187, 247, 258, 269, 270 ; ii. 214, 331-2 ; ii. 372 Napier, Lady (Frances), second wife of Sir George Napier, widow of W. P. Williams Freeman, 187, 247 ; ii. 198 Napier, George, son of Sir G. Napier, 108 Napier, Captain Henry and Mrs., visit to Sienna, 40, 257 406 INDEX Napier^ John, son of Sir G. Napier, 102, 122, 124 Napier, Mrs. John, 352 ; ii. 99, 127, 311 Napier, Norah, daughter of Sir W. Napier (see Bruce) Napier, Richard and Mrs., 83, 261 ; death and appreciation, ii. 119- 20, 225 Napier, Sarah, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Napier, wife of Lord Albert Seymour, ii. 127, 291 Napier, Sarah, daughter of Sir G. Napier, 27, 99, 100, 102, 106 Napier, General Sir William, 29, 34, 88, 123, 363 ; on Napoleon, 364 ; _on war with America, ii. 96 ; on Eaikes' Diary and pro- phecy to Josephine, ii. 123 ; on prospect of war, ii. 136 ; death, ii. 168 ; conversations with, ii. 214; on Sedgwick, ii. 296 Napier, General William, son of Sir G. Napier, on battlefields of Franco-German war, ii. 282—4 ; at Sandhurst, ii. 137, 151 Napier, Lord Ettrick, ii. 328 Naples, 163, 154-5, 166 ; museum at, 155-6 ; insurrection, 307-10 ; constitution, 1848, 280 ; revolu- tion, 307 Napoleon, 33, 34, 36; Sir W. Napier on, 364 Napoleon, Louis, proclamation, 352 ; anecdote, 370 Nar bonne, 150 Narcissus, 163 Narthecium, 27 ; ii. 138 Navarino, battle of, 35, 39 Natal, 109 ; raid on natives, 114, 122, 123 ; fighting, 146-6 Nature, notes at Barton, 128 Neckera, 264 Negroes ; in Brazil, 52 ; emancipa- tion of, 67, 249 Nelumbiuni, ii. 363 Neottopteris, 231 Nepenthes, 134 ; ii. 237, 264, 333 Nephrodium, ii. 36 Newman, Francis W., ii. 123 Newton, Prof. Alfred, ii. 227, 261, 273 New Zealand, Flora of, 230 Nicholson, Mr. and Mrs., ii. 161 Nice, 36, 269, 271 ; geology of, 272 Nightingale, Mrs., ii. 355 Nightingale, Florence, ii. 63, 103 Nimes, 34, 36, 150 ; Roman remains at, 268 Nipadites, ii. 102 Norfolk, forest beds, ii. 249 Norris, Mr., of Asiatic Society, 232 North, Miss, visit to, ii. 332-3; paintings in India, 345 ; travels, 361 Northampton, 129, 200, 204, 207 Northbrook, L. Mallet on Lord, ii. 306, 308 Norway, ii. 289 Norwich, British Association at, 236-8 Notholcena, ii. 36 Nummulites, 272, 297 Oak (see Quercus) Oakes, Mr., 215 Oakhampton, 28 O'Brien, Sir Edward, of Dromoland, 90, 91, 96 O'Brien, Stafford (Augustus Staf- ford), 91 O'Brien, Smith, 44 Oleander, 166, 274, 276 Oligoclase, ii. 80 Oliphant, Sir Anthony, 257, 291 Olive, 160, 161, 165, 167, 174, 176, 178, 274, 275, 277 ; ii. 66 Ophrys, 37, 143, 300 Orange tree, 66, 164, 166, 178, 273 ; ii. 4, 7, 8, 21, 26, 40 Orchidaceaj, 37-38, 209, 232; ii. 176, 382 Orchis, 37, 38, 111, 153, 300; ii. 219, 233 Oregon question, 215 Organ Mountains, 51 ; ii. 203 Orotava, ii. 28, 36-49 Owen, Prof., 126, 130, 131, 197, 202-3, 215-17 ; on geographical distribution of extinct mammalia, 222; lecture, 229; on British Museum, ii. 264 ; on gorilla and man, ii. 160 Owls, 13 ; ii. 337 Ojcalis, ii. 6, 14, 22 Oxford, visit to, ii. 364-5 Ouro Branco, 66 Ouro Preto (Villa Rica), 64, 68-9, 71-2 Ouvirandra, ii. 148 INDEX 407 Paestum, 166-7 Palaeontology, 202 Palazzolo, 175, 177 Palermo, 159, 160, 161, 163-5 Palestine, ii. 181 Palestro, battle of, ii. 145 Paliurus, 34 Palm, 164, 192, 277, 349 ; ii. 26, 36, 37, 40, 49, 50, 70, 190, 333, 346 Palmetta, 166, 168-9 Pampas, 57 Pancratium, 275 Papilio Atalanta, ii. 8 Papilionacese, 104 Papyrus, 178 Paris, visits to, 33, 262-3 ; ii. 110- 16 ; capitulation, ii. 272 Parlatore, Prof., 313 Paronychia, 162 Parr, Dr., 77 Passiflora, 73 ; ii. 10, 20 Pau, 148-9 Pavia, ii. 127 Peach, ii. 7, 21, 26, 49 Peacock, Dean, 45, 200, 250 Peak cavern, 10 Pear, prickly, 160, 174, 178 ; ii. 4, 7,28 Peel, Sir Robert, 215 ; his resigna- tion, 218, 245-6 ; on Free Trade, 219-21 Peepal tree, 349 Pelargonium, ii. 6, 7, 22 Pellegrino Monte, 161 Pensance, 136 Perez, Dr. (geologist), 271, 297 Peristropha, 23 Pertz, Dr., marriage to Miss L. Horner, 371 ; ii. 68, 69, 76 ; on Humboldt, ii. 71 ; on campaign of 1814, ii. 144 ; on MS. of the Georgics, ii. 207 Pertz, Mrs. (Leonora Horner), 199, 200, 201, 231 ; marriage, 371-2 ; letters to, ii. 153, 326 Peters, Dr., travels in Africa, ii. 72 Phalcenopsis, 232 Philips, John (geologist), ii. 126,310 Phillimore, Mr. John, 252, 258 PMUyrea, 300 Philpotts, Bishop, 96, 98 Phlegmaria, ii. 211 Phyllocladus, 208 Pigeons, ii. 301 Pinaster, ii. 6, 11-12, 23, 39 Pinguicula, 29 ; ii. 138 Pink, 323 ; ii. 271 Pinus, 86, 134, 230, 276, 288, 360 ; ii. 29, 36, 39, 70, 97, 114, 227, 249, 314, 336 Pisa, 283-6 Pistacia (Mastic), 37, 168, 276, 300 Pitt, as a statesman, his life, ii, 166-7 ; Wilberforce on, 170 Plane {see Platanus) Plant, houses at Barton, ii. 326 Platanus, 164 ; ii. 19, 94, 114, 238, 335 Platycerium, 231 Plocavta, ii. 27, 31, 32, 34, 37 Plutarch, 11, 12 ; ii. 214 Plymouth, 28 ; British Association at, 128 Pneumonanthe, ii. 378 Pointsettia, ii. 2, 4 Politics, 31, 82 ; of Italy, 298 Polygala, 6 Polygonum, 323 Polypodium, ii. 7, 23, 24, 36, 38 Polypogon, 178 Polytrichuni, ii. 14 Pomegranate, 178 Pompeii, 157-8 Pont du Gard, 167-8 Pope's Homer, 12 Pope Gregory XVI, at Rome, 246 Pope Pius IX, procession, 292, 295 ; aggression of, 344 Potamogeton, 343 ; ii. 260 Pottinger, Sir H., 207 Pouzi, Prof., 301 Powers, Mrs., 263 ; ii. 110, 113 Powys, Leopold, on Egypt, ii. 366-7 Praed, Winthrop, 43 Prandi, Mr., 316-17, 320 Pratt, Mr., geologist, 219 Prescott, Philip II, ii. 163 Prevost, Mr., 204, 322 Primula, 6 ; ii. 92, 135 Prince Consort, appreciation of science, i. 330 ; death, ii. 169 : Early Years of, ii. 222 Prince Imperial, death of, ii. 346 Prince of Wales, ii. 196, 285, 287 327 Princess Alice, ii. 340 Princess Charlotte, 6 Prinsep, Mr., ii. 176 Proteaceae, 104, 110, 208; ii. 97, 111, 220, 347-8 Pryor, Mr., ii. 273 408 INDEX Psidium, ii. 8 Pteris, ii. 13, 14, 24, 45, 182 Pulszky, on Sanscrit language, ii. 122 ; death of Madame Pulszky, ii. 208 Puslinck, 28 Pyrethrum, ii. 31 Pyrus, ii. 271 Queen Victoria, accession, 98 ; ap- preciation of science, 330 ; recep- tion of Mr. Bright, ii. 240 ; sends book to Lady Smith, 300 ; at Princess Alice's death, 340 Quercus, variability, ii. 135, 165 ; mentioned, 176, 212 ; ii. 19, 95, 96, 219, 223, 234, 338 Rachel, at Theatre Francais, 266 Raddi, Sigr., 313-14; ii. 89, 134 Rafflesiacese, ii. 264 Raglan, Lord, ii. 63, 66 Raleigh, History of the World, ii. 243 Rauke, L. von., on Macaulay, ii. 74 Ranunculus, 26 Rauch, ii. 75 Rawlinson, Major, 232 Rayleigh, Dowager Lady, ii. 280, 306, 338 Rayleigh, Lord {see Strutt) Reed, Italian, 160, 277 Retema, ii. 47 Reveley, Mr. -Hugh, 242, 244 Revolution of Vienna, 289, 291, 293 Rhizophora, ii. 333 Rhodiola, 140 Rhododendron, 23, 134, 346 ; ii. 86, 203, 338 Rhodomeria, 255 Rhynchossora, 27 Rice plant, 349 Rich, Lady, anecdote told by, ii. 248 Ricinus, ii. 40 Rickards, Rev. S. W., of Stowlang- toft, 127 ; ii. 170 Rio de Janeiro, 49-56, 61-4, 66, 69, 70, 107 Ristori in " Pia de Tolommei," ii. 100 Ritter (the geographer), ii. 73 Rivermede (Mr. Horner's house at Kingston), 344 Riviera, botany, 36-39 ; geology, 277 Roberts, Sir F. (Lord), ii. 354 Rocky Mountains, G. Darwin, ii. 285-6 Rogers, Mr. (the poet), 79, 126, 192, 201, 251 Rok's eggs. Prof. Owen on, ii. 264 Roman History, Arnold's, ii. 118 Roman remains, 238 Rome, visits to, 42, 149-54, 289- 311 ; Campagna, 299 ; war of liberation,290 ; disturbances,303- 6; Gibson at, ii. 102-3; Miss Horner at, ii. 303 Romilly, Edward, 204-5 RomUly, Sir Samuel, ii. 134 Roquefavour aqueduct, 266-7 Rorke's Drift, ii. 344 Ros, Lady De, recollections of Brussels ball, ii. 372 Rosa, 182 Rose, Prof. Gustav, on meteorites, etc., ii. 79 Roslin, visit to, 354 Rous, Lady, 6 Royal Institution, 224, 226 Royal titles, ii. 327 Royle, Dr. (botanist), 204 Rubiacea, 27 ; ii- 99, 264 Russell, Lord John, 98, 215, 220, 246 Ryan, Sir Edward, 199, 259; ii. 97, 162, 212 ; on Lord Canning, ii. 176 ; death, ii. 322 Sagos, ii. 190 St. Germain en Laye, ii. 115 St. Helena, effect of vegetation on climate, 251 S. Marcello, ii. 206 St. Michael, Mount, 136 St. Priest, Count de, 60, 63 S. Rosalia, grotto, 161-2 Salerno, 157 Salisburia, ii. 270 Salia;, 140 Salvadora Persica, 204 Sandgate, visit to, ii. 116 Sandhurst, ii. 137-9, 151 Sanguisorba, 135 San Remo, 274 Santa Cruz, ii. 27-30 Sardinia, King of, 246 Satyrium, 182 Sauzal, Marquessa del, ii. 36 Savi (geologist), 297 Saxifrage, 140, 323 ; ii. 188 Scanio, deposits of, 331 INDEX 409 Schimper, Prof., first meeting, 331 ; ii. 194 ; death and estimate, ii. 361-2 Sehliemann, at Troy, ii. 309 Schomburgk, ii. 176 School examinations, ii. 250 School at Mildenhall, 344 Scilla, 135, 136, 153 ; ii. 382 Scirpus, ii. 91 Scotch fir, ii. 139 Scott, Walter, novels, 12 ; poems, 9,11 Scrope, Poulet, on Mr. Horner, ii. 187 Scutellaria, 28 Sea-aster, 5 Seal, anecdote of, ii. 263 Sea-poppy, 5 Secale, 301 Sedan, battle of, ii. 266 Sedgwick, Adam, 95, 218; ii. 59, 237 ; at British Association, ii. 178 ; death and appreciation, ii. 295-6 Seeds, endurance in sea water, ii. 91 Segesta, 166 Selinuntimn, 167-8 Sempervivum, 162 ; ii. 7, 13 Seneberia, 27 Senecio, ii. 31 Senior's conversations on Ireland, ii. 241 Sepulchral chambers at Palazzuolo, 176 Sequoia, ii. 286 Serapias, 37, 38 Sesia, battle of, ii. 144 Severn, 237, 238 Seward, A. C, paper relating to Bunbury collection of fossils, ii. 389 Seymour, Lord Albert, marriage, ii. 291 Shakespeare, love of, 11, 65, 67 Sharpe, Daniel, 354, 360 Shelley, Trelawney on, ii. 342 Sheridan, anecdote of, 125 Sibthorpia, 133 Sicily, Colonel Bunbury at, 1 ; tour in, 160-79 ; scenery, 175 Sienna, visit to, 40 Sigillaria, 219 ; ii. 63, 69 ; silver tree, 104 Silene, 140, 214 Simpson, General, on prospects of peace, ii. 88 Sisraonda, Prof., 320, 323 Sisyrinchium, 69 Skerrett, Colonel, 67, 71, 73, 74, 76 Skulls from Bolivia, 131 Slavery, Lyell on, 249 Smilax, 34, 276 ; ii. 93 Smith, Dr. Andrew, 107 Smith, Captain, 147 Smith, Mr. Charles, at Orotava, ii. 36, 46, 47, 108 Smith, General Sir Harry, 102, 107, 110, 229 Smith, Colonel Hamilton, 132 Smith, Mr. J., curator at Kew, ii. 245 Smith, Mr. Samuel, ii. 69, 60, 86 ; visit to at Combe Hunt, 103 ; death and appreciation, 366-6 Smith, Sydney, 94, 98, 201, 203; on India, 79 ; on Maynooth ques- tion, 210 Smith, Lady, widow of Sir James, completed 100th year ; ii. 300, 330 Smyth, Professor, 340 Smythe, Prof., 125 Snakes in America, ii. 301 Snakes at Zoological Gardens, ii. 363 Snowdon, 138-40, 141 Snowdrops, ii. 153, 188, 191, 382 Solens, 266 Solferino, battle of, ii. 146-7 Somerville, Dr., 22, 78, 80, 81, 83, 150, 161 Somerville, Mrs., 22, 78, 80, 81, 83, 94, 95, 151, 153; wonderful preservation, ii. 291 ; death and appreciation, ii. 294 ; memoir, ii. 303 Sophora, ii. 114 Sothern, as Lord Dundreary, ii. 337 Soudan war, ii. 379-80, 383 South, Sir James, 77 Southwold, 3, 6, 6, 30 Sow-thistles, ii. 27 Spanish gypsy, ii. 243 Spartium, ii. 22 Species, Heer on, ii. 93-5 Spedding, James, ii. 360 Spider, ii. 33, 363 Spopiges, theory of origin of flint from, ii. 101-2 Sport, love of, 21 410 INDEX Spring, pleasure in, ii. 362, 362 Spring Rice (Lord Mouteagle), 91, 96 Squills, ii. 191 Staiford, Augustus {see O'Brien), 91 Stafford, O'Brien, 204 Stafford House, visit to, ii. 97 Stanhope's Life of Pitt, ii. 166-7 Stanley, Rev. Arthur, Dean of Westminster, 84 ; ii. 363 Stanley, Bishop of Norwich, 84 Stanney, 76 Stars of S. hemisphere, 65 Stratiotes, 26 Stigmaria, 219 ; ii. 77 Stockenstrom, Lieut. -Gen., on emi- grant Boers, 112-13, 114, 115, 120-1, 267 Stoddart, Mr., Consul at Madeira, ii. 6 Stokes, Mr., 200, 206 Storm, 1881, ii. 366 Strachey, Capt., 361 Stradbrooke, Lady (see Rous) Strasbourg, collection of fossils at, 331 Strawberry, 236 Strelezki, Count, in Australia, 202 Strutt, John (Lord Rayleigh), ii. 280 Studies, 30 Study, plan of, 191, 246 Suffolk, C. J. F. B., member for, 99 Sugar-canes, ii. 4, 7, 12, 20, 21 Sulphur mines, 172 Sunday bill at the Cape, 103 Superstitions, Kingsley on, ii. 196, 246 Switzerland, travels in, 322-30 Symonds, Rev. W. S., ii. 84, 86, 105, 238 Syracuse, 177-9 Tabayava, or Tavayava, ii. 34 Table lifting, 362 Table Mountain, 101, 106, 140; ascent of, 106-7, 109-10 Taine on England, ii. 342 Tait, Rev. A. (Archbishop), ii. 104, 194, 256 Talbot de Malahide, dinner at, ii. 346 ; on city of Tarragona, 347 Talfourd's tragedy of Ion, 86 Talipot palm, ii. 333 Tamarisk, 276 Targioni (Italian botanist), 313 Tarragona, wall of city, ii. 347 Taxodium, 86 ; ii. 93, 94, 95 Taxus, 86 ; ii. 66 Tea tree, ii. 15, 74 Telopea, 208 Temple, Dr., ii. 163 Teneriffe, scenery, ii. 26 Tennant, Sir E., Oeylon, ii. 156 Tennyson's Idylls of the King, ii. 155 Terebinth, 300 Terminalia, ii. 148 Thalictrum, 140 Thiers, Histoire du Consulat, etc., 207 Thistles, 68 Thlaspi, 10 Thompson, Dr., 358, 360, 361 Thuia, ii. 77 Thylacinus (Marsupial), 130 Tiber, overflowing, 161 Tiflis, museum at, ii. 287 Tighe, Mr. and Lady Louisa, 88, 90 Torquay, 253 Torrens, Sir H., 20 Torrey, Dr., 369 Toucan, 66 Tourgueneff, M. and Madame, 263-4 ; on Russia, ii. Ill Tournefort's herbarium in Paris, ii. Ill Trees, New Simla, ii. 262; at Barton, ii. 238 ; ii. 249 ; at Wells, ii. 269-70 Trelawney, Memorials of Shelley and Byron, ii. 342 Trench, Archbishop of Dublin, anecdote of, ii. 248 Trichomanes, ii. 49, 50 Trichonema, 62 Trientalis, ii. 289 Trifolium, ii. 135 Trinidad, Kingsley on, ii. 289 Trinity College, Cambridge, 43 Troston, C. BuUer's parsonage, ii. 368 Tulip tree, 134 ; ii. 65, 270 Turner, 200 Turin, stay at, 322 Tusculum, 163 Twistleton, Mr., on Mackintosh and Parr, ii. 224 ; on Junius, ii. 282 ; anecdote of Mr. Henry Fox,ii. 273 Uncle Toyn's Cabin, 355 Unger, ii. 93 INDEX 411 United States, war, ii. 163-4, 168- 9,171 Upas, 208 Uropedium, ii. 219 Usnea, ii. 39 Utricularia, 26 Uvaria, ii. 223 Vaccinium, ii. 16, 23, 203 Vega, voyage of, ii. 351 Vegetation, effect on climate of, 251 Veitch, ii. 14, 15, 165 Vellosia, 70 Ventnor, 350-1, 367-9 Vernon Gallery, ii. 96 Versailles, ii. 113-15 Vestiges of Creation, 199, 202-3, 252 Vesuvius, Owen on, 216-17 Vetch, 166 Vevay, 329 Vicary, Captain, on geology of Scinde, 259 Victoria Regia, ii. 70 Vienna, politics, 289, 291, 294 Vigny, M. de, ii. 112 ; on Jesuits, 116 VUla Rica, 64, 68-9, 70, 71-2 Vinatico, ii. 60 Vine, 160-1, 167, 174, 175, 277 ; ii. 16, 19, 23, 28, 93 Violet, 10, 96, 274 ; ii. 18, 47, 382 Virgil's Georgics, ii. 207, 327 Wales, 1 ; travels in, 8, 138-41, 239—243 Wallace, Alfred Russell, ii. 220, 232 ; on Indian Archipelago, ii. 210-11, 261 ; on species, ii. 129 Wallich, Dr., 258 WallicUa, 209 Walnut, 176 ; ii. 270 Walsingham, Lord and Lady, visit to, ii. 337-8 Warburton, Dr., 22, 80 Warwick Castle, 7 Waterloo, battle of, 3, 142 Water-lily, ii. 260 Watts, Mr., paintings, ii. 175-6 Weaver-bird, ii. 301 Wellington, Duke of, 123, 246 Wellingtonia, ii. 70, 227 Wells, visit to, ii. 269-71 Welwitschia, ii. 172, 173, 185-6 Wenloch Abbey, 238 Whately, Archbishop of Dublin, 94 Wheat, Fabre on variability of, 366-8 Whewell, 63, 95, 126; President of British Association, 128 Whitbread, ii. 340 Whitmore, Mr., 236, 238 Whymper on Greenland, ii. 237 Widdrington, Captain, on the eel, 129 Wight, Isle of, 19, 360-2 Williams, Penry, 310 Williamson's Oriental Field Sports,14: Windsor Park, ii. 233 Wisteria, 128 Wolverine, ii. 133 Wood of trees, 204 Woodsia, ii. 222 Wood sorrel, 236, 240, 346 ; ii. 222 Woodstock, 89 Woodwardia, ii. 19, 23, 24, 49 Worcester, 7 Wright, Prof. P., ii. 237 Wyddial, home of General and Mrs. Gwynn, 4 Wye, 8 Wynn, Sir W. W., 98 Yak, ii. 160 Yarmouth, 25 Yellosia, 72 Yosemite Valley, ii. 274 ; ii. 286 Zoological Gardens, visit to, 209, 347, 363 ; ii. 133, 147, 160, 162, 174, 300, 335-7, 353 Zoology of Caucasus, ii. 288 Zostera, 342 Zulu war, ii. 344-5 PLYMOUTH WILUAM BRENDON AND SON, LIMITED PRINTERS r-iu^ti^iiujis&csg, ffiffioeeaeasa Bs d diife g s i a&ssasaft ^sseeii^aa