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, Lehrjahre and Wanderjahre   129


individually to examine certain organic substances. Now in analysing bodies of this class much tact is required in devising the mode of treating them, and in adapting trains of experiment to the individual case. These men go to Liebig who gives his opinion as to how they are to set to work. He has a room where there are tables and sinks and some furnaces, about a yard's length of table is allotted to each man and there he experimentalises (he brings his own apparatus and tests). Liebig looks up the men once or twice a day, telling them how to go on, etc. etc. Their investigations are all published with the name of the experimentalizer attached. Liebig therefore presupposes delicacy of manipulation, and professes to teach the application of it to particular cases. It is the first part that I wish to practise and, not having done so sufficiently, of course instruction in the after part is useless. Under these circumstances and with the advice of Mr Miller I have determined not to enter the chemistry class, but shall work at learning German instead. My arrangements I will tell you at the end.

I set off from London at 12. Motley assemblage of passengers. Lady Noel on board ; and with the exception of treading upon a little poodle-dog's tail by accident, and making it squeal horribly, and of tumbling against a lady who was trying to drink unobserved a glass of wine, and so causing her to spill it over her neighbours, I got on very well. Calm passage, not sick, good berth, in which I didn't sleep, and splendid appetite. Ostend at 3J in the morning, shore at 42, tooled about, got passport viseed etc., breakfast and railroad at 6. Very agreeable companions they had come with me in the steamboat, and were travelling for their first time, a lady and her Governor ; there were other English also in the same carriage. Stopped an hour at Malines just looked about me. Liege at 4. ; ran about with one of my fellow-travellers, saw everything-dined and set off for .Aix at 10 at night a couple of Englishmen still sticking to me, one of whom tried to inveigle me into acting as a sort of courier, etc. a " Speed Malise speed," but I dished him nicely. Aix at 42 in the morning, warm bath etc. ; ran about the town, Charlemagne's throne, etc., etc. Good breakfast and set off for Coin at 72, arrived there at 32 ; bolted to the bankers ; just had time to look at the cathedral and off in the steamer ; we came opposite Drachenfels about 1 past 11 at night. I disembarked at Konigswinter; ran to the top of the Drachenfels and waited to see the sun rise (the steamer would have been in Coblentz by 4 o'clock), bolted down again in 13 minutes and items, grabbed a breakfast, and off for Coblentz ; found that I could not get off to Giessen till 3 o'clock next morning, so I walked up the Chartreuse, and in every possible direction till I was thoroughly tired (boiling sun) ; reinvigorated myself with a brace of ices etc. The men at the inn (Hof zum Riesen) very uncivil, so I knew that if I went to bed they would not awake me at 2 in the morning; consequently I took my luggage to the Schnellpost office, told the man my unfortunate condition and asked him to let me sleep in a diligence. He immediately took compassion on me and bundled about for the keys of the Passagierstube, but the keys were not to be found so I picked out the most comfortable Postwagen and fell asleep most cosily. However the chocolate ices, bonbons, and coffee that I had taken not exactly agreeing in my inside, I had a desperate nightmare, fancying that 2 vipers were dancing the `° Cachuca," whilst an old rattlesnake was posturising in the "La Gitana." At this I squealed awfully and being thoroughly awakened by a desperate rattling at the door,

P. G.   17


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