28o LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. xn. 



pulled the bell at the door of Mr. John A. Lowell, who, 

 on opening the door, was surprised to have a stranger, 

 with a strong foreign accent, ask if Mr. Lowell was at 

 home. The astonishment was quickly changed into 

 undisguised satisfaction when the stranger added : "I- 

 a-m P-r-o-f-es-s-or A-g-a-a-ss-i-z," with the drawling pro- 

 nunciation so characteristic of Romand or French Swit- 

 zerland, and more specially of Neuchatel. Mr. Lowell 

 very cordially extended both hands, and congratulated 

 him on his safe arrival ; and, in this auspicious manner, 

 Agassiz made his entry into American life, and was 

 launched into American society. 



Lowell, with his keen eyes, his knowledge of Euro- 

 pean life and society, his association with savants, was 

 very favourably impressed by Agassiz. He saw at once 

 that his friends, Charles and Lady Lyell, had not over- 

 strained the praise they had bestowed on the scientific 

 worth of the savant they had so highly recommended 

 to him ; and from that first day he became an ardent 

 supporter, and soon after a most intimate friend and 

 counsellor, of Agassiz. 



This day was certainly one of the happiest of Agas- 

 siz's life. A new life was opened to him at a moment 

 of great mental depression and despondency, the nat- 

 ural result of the difficult position in which he was 

 placed, both pecuniarily and socially. 



The moment of his arrival in the New World was 

 particularly fortunate and well timed. Until then the 

 United States had developed without borrowing much 

 from Europe. After the founding of the New Eng- 

 land and Virginia colonies and the war of indepen- 



