622 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



tain in time to come the like predominance 

 as mathematics have here, or Greek at Oxford. 

 It will not grieve me if it should, for we are 

 all curious of nature, but not of algebra. But 

 the necessity of check on the instructors in 

 the head of the college, I am sure you will 

 agree with me, is indispensable. You will see 

 that my allusion to naturalists is only inci- 

 dental to my statement of my grievance. 



But I have made my letter ridiculously 

 long, and pray you to remember that you 

 have brought it on your own head. I do not 

 know that I ever attempted before an expla- 

 nation of any speech. 



Always with entire regard yours, 



R. W. EMERSON. 



At about this time, in September, 1864, 

 Agassiz made an excursion into Maine, partly 

 to examine the drift phenomena on the islands 

 and coast of that State, and partly to study 

 the so-called " horse - backs." The journey 

 proved to be one of the most interesting he 

 had made in this country with reference to 

 local glacial phenomena. Compass in hand, 

 he followed the extraordinary ridges of mo- 

 rainic material lying between Bangor and Ka- 

 tahdin, to the Ebeene Mountains, at the foot 



