1 847-49.] SECOND HOTEL DES NEUCHATELOIS. 21 



and was most devoted to the welfare and interest of 

 Agassiz. Although not speaking or understanding 

 more than half a dozen English words, he had the skill 

 to make himself understood,' by gestures and pantomime, 

 which he executed with great readiness, and generally 

 with good results. He succeeded in teaching the cook, 

 an illiterate Irish girl, a sufficient number of French 

 words to make her understand his directions in regard 

 to some French dish to his taste. His most remarkable 

 performance was the buying of provisions. Not satisfied 

 with the butcher who brought meat and vegetables to 

 the door every day, he concluded to go himself to the 

 great markets in Boston. Every day, he walked into 

 Boston, starting at daybreak ; and, to economize, he 

 carried a great basket on his arm, and so calculated 

 his time, as to arrive at the Cambridge bridge before 

 the toll office on the Cambridge side was open. Then 

 he would stand on the bridge, between the two toll 

 houses, for five, ten, or even twenty minutes, waiting 

 patiently until the toll keeper on the Cambridge side 

 opened his small cabin and office, - - an indication that 

 the toll had been paid ; and then Christinat would pass 

 in front of the toll house on the Boston side, thus 

 avoiding the toll of one cent ! 



At the Faneuil Hall and Quincy markets, he always 

 made excellent choice of meat, fowls, fishes, lobsters, 

 and vegetables, for he was truly "a connoisseur" ; but 

 he spoke French to all the market men, his only English 

 being how much ? and he never understood the answer ; 

 but paid what he thought was proper. The men almost 

 always remonstrated on the ground that it was not the 



