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Transition Studies   11

Galton himself says' of the Vacation Tourists, that excision was often an unwelcome duty, and illustrates it by the statement that among the contributions offered for one volume were thirteen separate descriptions of sea-sickness ! Yet the volumes have something of the charm of leisurely midVictorian journalism; and should not be allowed to pass into complete oblivion.

In 1864 Galton wrote for John Murray a knapsack guide for Switzerland, which just deserves mention under the heading of travel. It reached a second edition, the one I have examined. The late Mr John Murray paid Galton. £150 for the copyright. It was one of a series of four (Switzerland, Italy, Norway and Tyrol) which .Have since passed out of sight. The general -plan is very much what we now associate with Baedeker, and the hints as to hotels and the character of landlords were more or less original in those days. Galton's name is not associated with the work and there is little to identify it with his personality. He does not mention it in the Memories, it is omitted in lists of his books and memoirs, and the present writer never heard him refer to it. It is nevertheless a substantial piece of work. How and when did Galton obtain his knowledge of Switzerland? The answer may be found in the brief yearly records of , "Frank's Life" and "Louisa's Life" on opposite pages from 1830 to 1853, and then carried on in common by Mrs Galton until her death in 1897, which year is written by Francis Galton himself. From this Record' we find that not only was a considerable portion of the wedding tour devoted to Switzerland (1853), but in 1856 the Galtons were in Switzerland and the Tyrol. -In 1857, 1861, 1862 both were again in Switzerland, and in 1863, Francis Galton, probably to complete the knapsack guide, was alone in Switzerland. Thus his experience was fairly ample for a guide which was intended not for the high-peak climber, but for the `Thalbummler,'. or for the tourist in the broader sense.

The autumn travel often extended to two or three months, and the visits to Mrs Galton's family: at Gayton or Julian Hill, or to Francis Galton's relatives at Leamington, Claverdon or Hadzor were a constapt feature of the Galton' life; they consumed much time, but had no doubt eompensatm advantages especially as the health of both was ate times indifferent. Beyond these travels and visits social life is often referred to, and the names of the Russell Gurneys, the Gassiots, the Norths and of Spottiswoode begin to appear in the diary. After their return to England in 1853, the Galtons had occupied lodgings in Portugal 'Street; then they lived at 55 Victoria Street, Westminster, and fined in 1857 they took possession of the house in Rutland Gate, which remained Galton s home till his death in 1911, and is the environment with which most -of his surviving friends will chiefly associate him. The light-and airy, white enamelled drawing-room, with its furniture of many periods and styles; the long dining-room with its bookcase at the back, Galton's working table` in the frontwindow, and on the walls the prints

1. Memories, p. 187.

2 The Knapsack Guide for Travellers in Switzerland. New edition revised, 1867. "Frank busy editing Murray's Handbook." L. G.'s Record, 1864.   ` ' In future to be cited as L. G.'s Record.

' Now in the Galtoniana of the Galton.. Laboratory with his writing chair.

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