1846-47-] A COURSE IN FRENCH. 291 



able to display all his resources and his unequalled talent 

 as a teacher " hors ligne." 



His friends in Boston and Cambridge understood this 

 feeling, and, at their request, Agassiz delivered, before 

 a select audience, a series of lectures on " Les glaciers 

 et 1'epoque glaciaire," in French, his native language. 

 At that time, the number of persons in Boston and 

 Cambridge who knew enough French to follow a 

 lecture in that language was limited. However, the 

 subscription list was large, the ladies outnumbering the 

 gentlemen, and according to his own account it was 

 the best course of lectures he ever delivered. The sub- 

 ject was entirely new in America; the illustrations were 

 excellent and most attractive for the time, and the 

 delivery in correct and even elegant French. It was a 

 rare treat to every one, from the lecturer himself to 

 almost all his listeners, the most enthusiastic being 

 the ladies, who were lost in admiration of the Alpine 

 glaciers, Alpine peaks, Jura boulders, " roches mouton- 

 nees," and " cailloux stries," and, indeed, of the Pro- 

 fessor. 



After these two courses of lectures, Agassiz became a 

 great favourite in Boston society, and he remained such 

 until the end of his life. He had conquered the " elite' 1 

 of Boston and Cambridge, as well as the common people, 

 not only of Boston, but of Massachusetts and even of 

 New England; for his lectures were published at once, 

 and almost in extenso in newspapers. 



During the delivery of his Boston lectures, his favour- 

 ite pupil at Neuchatel, Frank de Pourtales, had joined 

 him, the first of Agassiz's European scientific friends to 



