156 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. \\. 



He enjoyed everything immensely, was never sick, only 

 now and then tired through over-exertion and excite- 

 ment, was received with open arms by every one, from 

 the Emperor to planters, traders, etc., and for the first 

 time in his life was unembarrassed financially, being 

 amply supplied with money by Mr. Nathaniel Thayer. 

 Besides this, his wife at his side always took upon herself 

 a great part of the management, and shared his comfort 

 and fatigues, and was the recipient of many complimen- 

 tary attentions on the part of the Brazilian population. 

 Altogether it was a sort of triumphal scientific explora- 

 tion, certainly merited after the many years of hard 

 work in Europe and in America of one who concen- 

 trated in himself the careful and original studies of 

 almost half a century. No naturalist more deserved 

 such a reception than Louis Agassiz. 



General incidents in Agassiz's life, which happened 

 before his journey to Brazil, have been passed over, in 

 order not to break the narration of more important 

 events. Among these we may mention the receipt of 

 the Copley Medal, awarded to him in December, 1861, 

 by the Royal Society of London, an honour which 

 pleased Agassiz much, and which is considered by the 

 English savants as the highest reward they can bestow 

 on a foreigner or a native. It was certainly well placed 

 this time, for few of its recipients have done so much 

 for the progress of natural history in both hemispheres. 



Not long after the outbreak of the Civil War, in 1861, 

 in its darkest hour, Agassiz took out naturalization 

 papers, to show his sympathy with the Union. Until 

 this time he had kept his Swiss nationality, notwith- 



