260 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. xi. 



others to finish, or abandoned it altogether, never 

 returning to it. With such a disposition, Agassiz was 

 much in need of a secretary and assistants able to 

 understand his instructions and to carry out and finish 

 his numerous schemes. He successively added several 

 assistants. In fact, the apartment of the professor 

 was a sort of ''Pension bourgeoise " for naturalists and 

 artists ; for, besides the regular inmates, there was a 

 constant arrival of friends, and of members of the 

 Agassiz family, who were quite numerous around Neu- 

 chatel, and of foreign naturalists, such as the two 

 Schimpers and the two Braun brothers. Of course, 

 the one hundred and sixty louis of his salary were soon 

 exhausted in keeping such an establishment, and needed 

 additions of money were lacking all the time. Agassiz 

 very quickly expended his share of his inheritance from 

 his father, and then all his family were obliged to help 

 him ; which they did at first with pleasure, and after- 

 ward with some reluctance. 



The Neuchatel burgesses, and more especially all 

 the wealthy families, who had contributed to the sub- 

 scription for founding his professorship of natural 

 history, were ready to help him, and very generously 

 contributed money for each new scheme brought be- 

 fore them by Agassiz. But as soon as one scheme 

 was fairly started, another, absolutely unexpected, 

 was added to the burden. And, as one of the 

 most liberal of those naturalists of Neuchatel says, 

 " We were ready to help Agassiz with money ; but 

 there was no end to his constant needs. He had 

 already expended, in advance, all we were glad to 



