36 AUTOBIOGRAPHY. [ch. ii. 



speak of the Principles ! I am proud to remember that the 

 first place, namely, St. Jago, in the Cape de Verde Archi- 

 pelago, in which I geologised, convinced me of the infinite 

 superiority of Ly ell's views over those advocated in any 

 other work known to me. 



The powerful effects of Lyell's works could formerly be 

 plainly seen in the different progress of the science in France 

 and England. The present total oblivion of Elie de Beau- 

 mont's wild hypotheses, such as his Craters of Elevation and 

 Lines of Elevation (which latter hypothesis I heard Sedg- 

 wick at the Geological Society lauding to the skies), may be 

 largely attributed to Lyell. 



I saw a good deal of Eobert Brown, " facile Princeps 

 Botanicorum," as he was called by Humboldt. He seemed 

 to me to be chiefly remarkable for the minuteness of his ob- 

 servations and their perfect accuracy. His knowledge was 

 extraordinarily great, and much died with him, owing to 

 his excessive fear of ever making a mistake. He poured 

 out his knowledge to me in the most unreserved manner, 

 yet was strangely jealous on some points. I called on him 

 two or three times before the voyage of the Beagle, and on 

 one occasion he asked me to look through a microscope and 

 describe what I saw. This I did, and believe now that it 

 was the marvellous currents of protoplasm in some vege- 

 table cell. I then asked him what I had seen ; but he an- 

 swered me, " That is my little secret." 



He was capable of the most generous actions. When 

 old, much out of health, and quite unfit for any exertion, 

 he daily visited (as Hooker told me) an old man-servant, 

 who lived at a distance (and whom he supported), and read 

 aloud to him. This is enough to make up for any degree 

 of scientific penuriousness or jealousy. 



I may here mention a few other eminent men whom I 

 have occasionally seen, but I have little to say about them 

 worth saying. I felt a high reverence for Sir J. Herschel, 

 and was delighted to dine with him at his charming house 

 at the Cape of Good Hope and afterwards at his London 

 house. I saw him, also, on a few other occasions. He never 

 talked much, but every word which he uttered was worth 

 listening to. 



I once met at breakfast, at Sir R. Murchison's house, the 

 illustrious Humboldt, who honoured me by expressing a 

 wish to see me. I was a little disappointed with the great 

 man, but my anticipations probably were too high. I can 



