i66 Journal of Travel and Natural History 



value of time, and it all made me turn over myself with my face to the wall, as 

 I lay in bed, and wonder and long that it were possible for me to have strength 

 given me to lay lance in rest once again, and add one little stone — ever so little 

 would do — to the great temple that science is erecting. So you see, friend, that 

 absolute contentment, even after all the discipline I have had, is not my happy 

 gift yet; but that I sometimes fidget in the bonds of this overpowering weakness 

 and pain, like a half bred hound in leash when his game is afoot." 



On loth June he was no more. 



His " Letters Home " consist chiefly of letters to his father, con- 

 taining his impressmis de voyage (suppressing personal and family 

 allusions), during a yacht trip to Spain and Algiers, and a short 

 visit to Rio Janeiro, both made in the course of the year 1856, in 

 company with his friend Mr Gray. They are written in a fresh 

 and pleasant style, with an occasional sparkle of fun, and with 

 admirable powers of description, and there is a total absence of all 

 affectation or thought of self in the volume. 



The trips were undertaken partly for health, but still more for 

 natural history purposes, and, of course, notices of natural history 

 and entomology are frequent, more especially in the excursion to 

 Brazil. But before giving an exaiuple or two of these taken from 

 it, we shall cull one little piece of practical advice suggested by 

 something Mr Clark saw on the passage out, which may perhaps 

 be useful to some parent who reads it : — 



" Of course in such a crowded varying life as this [on board the steamer to 

 Rio] I could give you page after page of gossip and anecdote ; but with all the 

 inclination, I have not the means of writing amply. One idea, however, I will 

 give you, the experience of the last day or two ; it is this : whenever any one 

 having girls to transplant to another country, is looking out for some niater- 

 familias to whose charge they may be entrusted with comfort during the voyage, 

 let the first (not the second, but the very first) requisite be the sailing qualities 

 of madame. She may be most superior, and discreet, and watchful, and 

 anxious to do her duty to her young friends, but all this avails nothing at all if 

 she is unhappily confined to her berth by sea-sickness. One or two ladies here 

 have been making acquaintances which older and wiser people could see at 

 once were not desirable, by no fault of their own, but by almost pressure of 

 circumstances. They had only one friend on board, who was taking them to 

 their family at Madeira ; and she is always ill in bed below ; they cannot be for 

 ever with her in her berth ; under these circumstances the generality of chance 

 acquaintances are those which are the least eligible," p. 84. 



How gently and charitably he apologises for the young minxes, 

 and how sound and judicious the advice ; unfortunately in such cases 

 there is rarely much choice of matrons. It is too often a choice 

 of difficulties. 



