1 845.] CREDIT DUE TO NEUCHATEL. 245 



his numerous and bulky publications were put into the 

 hands of the rich firm of Jent and Gassmann, booksellers 

 and publishers at Solothurn; securities were given to his 

 creditors, and everything was most honourably arranged 

 to relieve him from his immediate distressing position. 



If, however, his Neuchatel establishment was a fail- 

 ure pecuniarily, scientifically it was a success unique 

 in natural history. The result of his fourteen years' 

 residence at Neuchatel was the publication of more 

 than twenty volumes, with two thousand folio or oc- 

 tavo plates, and many separate papers ; all were well 

 written, beautifully printed, and profusely illustrated 

 with most exact drawings - - a record so creditable that 

 it gave a just celebrity, not only to Agassiz, but also to 

 Neuchatel, at that time a small town of less than six 

 thousand inhabitants. The " Neuchatelois ' may well 

 be proud of such a performance ; their great liberality 

 toward science, and their appreciation of the rare value 

 of Agassiz, made it possible for him to prosecute with 

 unimpaired vigour his remarkable scientific researches 

 famed the world over. 



That Agassiz thought that he was acting wisely in 

 receiving Vogt and Desor at his table as regular board- 

 ers, and giving a room in his apartment to Desor, there 

 is no doubt. But, in the long run, the scheme proved 

 expensive, and most harassing to his wife. Little by 

 little, the characters of both Vogt and Desor came 

 out; jokes of doubtful politeness were indulged in; 

 remarks rather satirical, cynical, and anti-religious were 

 not rare. Vogt, more especially, never missed an oppor- 

 tunity to make a "bon mot' at the expense of the 



