28 DUBLIN UNIVERSITr 



of both the first-named gentlemen. Among the letters relating to it I 

 find one from Mr. Ball to his wife, dated Bound wood, July 24, 1840. 

 It appeared to hare been written in red ink, which by fading had lost 

 something of its original brightness. But on reading the letter, I find 

 it is one in every respect very characteristic of its author, for it is 

 written in the colouring matter ejected from the Aplysia, or sea-hare, 

 and contains, for Mrs. Ball's satisfaction, a sketch of the animal, like- 

 wise executed in the material which it had so unconsciously supplied. 



The following extract from a letter dated 29th March indicates some 

 of the subjects which then occupied his thoughts : — 



To Robert Patterson, Esq. 



"lam not an early riser, except under strong inducement. I feel 

 usually so little refreshed by sleep that I find equal difficulty in getting 

 up or going to bed." " I was only once free from the difficulty of 

 getting up early : it was when a transient prospect opened of following 

 out my own views of life ; and I then, for four months, consumed but 

 six hours a day in sleep, dressing, &c. My work all went for nothing, 

 and I fell back to old habits again. During this time, when I was in 

 earnest with life, I read twelve hours a day, and fulfilled my duties in 

 various public offices ; took sufficient exercise-time at meals, for the re- 

 maining six ; and I think never was so long free from indisposition of 

 any kind. Thus, you see, I have in myself a good example ; but I lack 

 the spur of some special object. 



"New Zealand is again upon me, and two friends have been just 

 with me on the subject. It would be painful to transport myself from 

 cultivated minds for ever; and the eat-and-be-fed life you describe 

 would not be according to my taste. But that proposed in New Zealand 

 is not quite of this character. My great speculation there would be the 

 improvement of the natives ; a less profitable but more worthy object 

 than the rearing of sheep." 



Later in the year (July, 1840), Mr. Ball and I were fellow-lodgers 

 at Plymouth, during the meeting of the British Association at that 

 town. On one occasion we had the pleasure of visiting the Fish-market 

 there — always a place of some interest to the naturalist — accompanied 

 by our friends, the Rev. Dr. Robinson, of Armagh, and Thomas F. 

 Bergin, Esq., of Dublin. We went on board the San Josef, were con- 



