136 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. vi. 



chdtel, et cela a titre gratuit. Sur quoi par deliberation 

 consultative, le Conseil a unanimement approuve la pro- 

 position, et a la meme unanimite il a confirme cette de- 

 liberation au scrutin pour etre soumise a la ratification 

 de la communaute." The title of " Bourgeois de Neu- 

 chatel ' was more than merely honorary, for it carried 

 with it pecuniary benefits, and is very seldom conferred 

 gratuitously. 



The king of Prussia, Frederick William, by an order 

 to his Secretary of State, dated Berlin, March 17, 1838, 

 gave for ten years ten thousand louis to develop public 

 instruction in Neuchatel, and Agassiz was confirmed as 

 professor of natural history; he did not receive his di- 

 ploma, however, until 1840, for two years passed before 

 the Academy was finally organized. Arnold Guyot was 

 invited to deliver a course of lectures on geography, a 

 year later, 1839-1840, and Dubois de Montperreux, the 

 Caucase traveller, also delivered lectures on archaeology. 

 For a small town and small canton, as Neuchatel was 

 then, the creation of an academy was a great occurrence, 

 and did honour both to the prince of Neuchatel, king 

 of Prussia, and to the City Council of Neuchatel. 



