614 presiuext's address. 



varied and charming: than William Macdcay's. With such companidiis. one could 

 DOt be said to be out of the only world worth living in — the world of ideas — 

 and the leisure hours which Robert Lowe enjoyed with these old colonial friends, 

 within sight and sound of the 'wide Pacific,' were among'st the happiest of his 

 life"' (p. -280-287). 



"Also in these first years [after the return to England] he [Robert Lowe] 

 received much Australian intelligence from the pen of his trusted and intimate 

 friend in Svdney. the late William [S.] Macleay. At parting they made a kind 

 of loose compact that they would regularly exchange the experiences and im- 

 pressions of their widely-sundered lives; and this was done as far as possible 

 until Macleay's death in 1805. Of this correspondence but a very small portion 

 has been preserved, and of that, only a mere fraction in any way concerns this 

 narrative," 



"Like all men of that highly refined and cultured type, Macleay was of a re- 

 ser\'ed nature, as well as of very studious habits, and admitted few to the inner 

 sanctuary of his feelings. But he had an afi'ection. surpassing that of a brother, 

 for Robert Lowe, and he felt also a great liking and admiration for the courage 

 and wifely devotion of Mrs. Lowe. His beloved Elizabeth Bay was never to 

 iiim altogether tlie same after the departure of the young English barrister and 

 his wife vho liad so strangely dropped into the orbit of his retired existence" 

 [Vol. ii., p. 92]. 



Extracts from, or summaries of, some of W. S. Macleay's letters, relating 

 to political or social matters, are given, as well as a few letters of special in- 

 terest to us. Mrs. Lowe's description of Elizabeth Bay House and the garden, 

 as well as a portion of W. S. Macleay's letter about Darwin's "Origin of 

 Species," have been quoted above. His last letter, written about three months 

 before his death, is given in its chronological place, in concluding my remarks. 



An interesting memento of Robert Lowe's friendship with W. S. Macleay, 

 among the relies of the latter is a copy of the famous macaronic poem which 

 Lowe composed on the visit of Queen Victoria — then the Princess Victoria — and 

 her mother, the Duchess of Kent, to Oxford^ in 1833. The author was then an 

 undergraduate. The poem is reprinted in Lowe's "Life," with interesting com- 

 ments [Vol i., p. 86] . Copies are now extremely rare, and the biogi-apher had 

 .some difHeultv in borrowing one. for, he says, "Lord Sherbrooke had indeed lost 

 his own copy." I think it is extremely probable, that Lord Sheibrooke forgot 

 that he had given his own copy to W. S. Macleay. The poem was published 

 anonymously, but on the title-page of our copy is inscribed "a Roberto Lowe, 

 A.M." in the author's handwriting, as I think. 



Among other most pleasant interludes in W. S. IMaeleay's life in Aus- 

 tralia, special mention may be made of his friendly intercourse with Lieutenant 

 J. B. Emery, of H.M.S. "Beagle," in command of Captain Lort Stokes; As- 

 sistant-Surgeon Huxley, of H.M.S. "Rattlesnake"; and Surgeon F. Rayner, 

 and Assistant Surgeon J. Denis Macdonald, of H.M.S. "Herald," in command 

 of Captain Denhaiu. These were all periodical visitors to Sydney during the 

 time tlieir vessels were on the Australian Station. 



Lieuterant J. B. Emery, of H.M.S. "Beagle,'" in command of Captaiis 

 Stokes, was interested in Zoology, as well as the Surgeon, Dr. Bynoe, who col- 

 lected birds and mammals more particularly. While the "Beagle" was at Port 

 Darwin in September (12tli), 1830. Cai)tnin Stokes records that— "On this beach. 



