FRIENDS. 



145 



tation of all sorts. Nor do I forget the way and the vehe- 

 mence with which he rubbed his chin when he got excited 

 on such subjects, and discoursed eloquently of lianas, or- 

 chids, &c." 



He became intimate with Henslow, the Professor of 

 Botany, and through him with some other older members of 

 the University. " But," Mr. Herbert writes, " he always kept 

 up the closest connection with the friends of his own standing; 

 and at our frequent social gatherings — at breakfast, wine or 

 supper parties — he was ever one of the most cheerful, the 

 most popular, and the most welcome." 



My father formed one of a club for dining once a week, 

 called the Gourmet * Club, the members, besides himself and 

 Mr. Herbert (from whom I quote), being Whitley of St. John's, 

 now Honorary Canon of Durham ; f Heaviside of Sidney, 

 now Canon of Norwich ; Lovett Cameron of Trinity, now 

 vicar of Shoreham ; Blane of Trinity, who held a high post 

 during the Crimean war; H. Lowej; (now Sherbrooke) of 

 Trinity Hall ; and Watkins of Emmanuel, now Archdeacon 

 of York. The origin of the club's name seems already to 

 have become involved in obscurity. Mr. Herbert says that it 

 was chosen in derision of another " set of men who called 

 themselves by along Greek name signifying * fond of dainties,' 

 but who falsified their claim to such a designation by their 

 weekly practice of dining at some roadside inn, six miles from 

 Cambridge, on mutton chops or beans and bacon." Another 

 old member of the club tells me that the name arose because 

 the members were given to making experiments on '' birds 

 and beasts, which were before unknown to human palate." 

 He says that hawk and bittern were tried, and that their zeal 

 broke down over an old brown owl, " which was indescrib- 

 able." At any rate, the meetings seemed to have been suc- 

 cessful, and to have ended with " a game of mild vingt-et-un." 



* Mr. Herbert mentions the name as ' The Glutton Club.' 

 f Formerly Reader in Natural Philosophy at Durham University. 

 X Brother of Lord Sherbrooke. 

 8 



