1858-64-] JAMES J7. />'. /AVT.//iY>>. 91 



own, he was ambitious to fill it to its utmost capacity 

 with all the best and rarest specimens he could obtain. 

 His dangerous sickness at Charleston in the winter of 

 1853, combined with the great mental exertions involved 

 in the publication of the first two volumes of his " Con- 

 tributions to the Natural History of America," had told 

 on his strong constitution. After mutual congratula- 

 tions on meeting again, for, although very different in 

 character and in our scientific researches, we agreed on 

 many points, and were much devoted to one another, - 

 Agassiz imparted to me, in his naive way, his desire to 

 have me help him in his difficult undertaking. I saw 

 at once the great disadvantage of creating an establish- 

 ment on such a large scale, in such an out-of-the-way 

 place as Cambridge ; but Agassiz was so sanguine and 

 so optimistic that it would have been cruel to raise 

 objections and to try to open his eyes. It was truly 

 magnificent to see him every year, fighting against diffi- 

 culties, especially money difficulties, with which no one 

 but he would have dared to contend, and always 

 expending double, sometimes treble, the sum he had on 

 hand. Indeed, to be in debt was his normal condition. 

 He used to say, " Every year has its work to provide 

 pecuniary means for the Museum," and he acted as if 

 he thought he should live forever. 



During the winter of 1861, Agassiz, in order to influ- 

 ence the Legislature and government of Massachusetts 

 to make a grant of money, arranged to have the governor 

 and the General Court to visit the Museum. They 

 came in a body, and were shown all over the building, 

 and Mr. Barnard and I were invited to help him receive 



