Arrival in England — Reach London. 447 



verdure of spring. Even tlie traveller fresh from the volup- 

 tuous loveliness of the ti'opics, finds ever new beauties in the 

 manifold variety of nature. The more the student of Nature 

 walks with her and finds in her his chief pleasures, the more 

 receptive does his soul become for all that is marvellous and 

 beautiful, as from day to day they present themselves in new 

 and unexpected phases. 



The same evening the Magdalena resumed her vo}^age, and 

 about noon on the 19th we passed the renowned "Needles," 

 and in two houi's afterwards reached Southampton. Dire 

 was the confusion on board, each person wishing to have his 

 own trunk conveyed on shore the first. I found with my 

 voluminous boxes the most courteous consideration. It suf- 

 ficed to explain the object of my travels to have all my lug- 

 gage passed without examination. For down to the English 

 Custom House ofiicials, who are not, it must be confessed, 

 prone to show much tenderness to travellers' baggage, extends 

 that honourable feeling of respect for science which English- 

 men of all grades seem to entertain. The same evening I 

 reached London. 



As the next steamer for Gibraltar was not to leave for 

 eight days, I immediately started to London, and availed 

 myself of this opportunity to renew old acquaintance, and 

 make up my leeway as regarded the important strides and 

 valuable discoveries made in the fields of science during my 

 long absence from Europe. The warai interest and cordial 

 reception I met with from such gentlemen as Sir Roderick 



