456 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



Coast Survey vessel fitted out for the Pacific 

 shore. Here was another determining- motive 

 for his stay in this country. Under no other 

 government, perhaps, could he have had op- 

 portunities so invaluable to a naturalist. 



But events were now passing in Europe 

 which made his former position there, as well 

 as that of many of his old friends, wholly un- 

 stable. In February, 1848, the proclamation 

 of the French republic broke upon Europe 

 like a clap of thunder from a clear sky. The 

 news created great disturbances in Switzerland, 

 and especially in the canton of Neuchatel, 

 where a military force was immediately organ- 

 ized by the republican party in opposition to 

 the conservatives, who would fain hav.e con- 

 tinued loyal to the Prussian king. For the 

 moment all was chaos, and the prospects of 

 institutions of learning were seriously endan- 

 gered. The republican party carried the day ; 

 the canton of Neuchatel ceased to be a de- 

 pendence of the Prussian monarchy, and be- 

 came merged in the general confederation of 

 Switzerland. 



At about the same time that Agassiz, in 

 consequence of this change of conditions, was 

 honorably discharged from the service of the 

 Prussian king, a scientific school was organ- 



