EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN   85

" Edstone," between Stratford-on-Avon and Henleyon-Arden ; and my second brother Erasmus was, as already said, at his estate at Loxton in Somersetshire.

I was therefore free, and I eagerly desired a complete change ; besides, I had many " wild oats " yet to sow. So I started on travel, this time to Egypt. At Malta I found my old friend Robert Frere, of whom I have already spoken. He was acting medically towards his uncle, I4ookham Frere, much as I had been acting towards my own father. Hookham Frere was too unwell to be seen, or I should greatly have valued the privilege of a few words with so accomplished a man, whatever his diplomatic shortcomings may have been. Not the less so because of the amusing parody written jointly by himself and Canning of my grandfather Darwin's Loves of the Plants under the title of Loves of the

Triangles, which gave a coup "de grace to the turgid

poetry that had become a temporary craze in my grandfather's time.

At Malta I took steamer to Alexandria, and found two Cambridge friends on board, who had been travelling in Greece. They were Montagu Boulton, the third and youngest brother of Matthew Boulton, and Hedworth Barclay, a very distant kinsman of my

ii+1 the sore of David. 11arcluy oof 1~"astwick Park, ultitmmately agreed to join. Boultoi1 had

rate courier named Evard, who had also been groom of the chamber to one of the most fashionable of English families. Barclay had a good Greek cook, Christopher, and I was to contribute a dragoman, which I (lid. His name was Ali.

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