1846-47-] DIFFICULTIES WITH HIS SP2CRETARY. 299 



especially in his way of talking. He had left him in 

 Paris his secretary and assistant, and he found him at 

 New York his associate and collaborator, w r ith a certain 

 air of domination which extended even to every act of 

 his private life. Passionate and painful discussions fol- 

 lowed one another in rapid succession ; and although 

 they all ended in reconciliation, they were but the begin- 

 ning of most serious difficulties. It was evident that 

 Desor's prolonged sojourn at Paris, during which he had 

 assumed the joint authorship of one of Agassiz's publi- 

 cations, and his journey in Scandinavia- -at the expense 

 of Agassiz, who found the amount of one thousand 

 dollars a little hard to pay back to his banker in 

 his already straitened pecuniary position - - had given 

 him a somewhat exalted opinion of his scientific and 

 social value. Agassiz was much hurt by this new de- 

 meanour of his secretary ; it was hard for him to be 

 lectured by his own pupil both on scientific and private 

 affairs. He recalled the poor young man who came to 

 him at Neuchatel at the end of 1837, not as a naturalist 

 of worth, but only as an amanuensis and translator, and 

 at whose mercy now, ten years later, he found himself, 

 both scientifically and socially. As he himself said, it 

 was he who brought the water to turn the mill, for 

 Desor had never contributed a cent to the constantly 

 increasing expenses. 



The following letters are presented to show how 

 Agassiz was always ready to help and encourage a 

 young naturalist ; and they allow me, at the same time, 

 to define my position with him. Being an assistant at 

 the Jardin des Plantes, under the direction of M. Cordier, 



