141 



Nothing better occurs than to give you a history 

 of my life and labours ; — very unimportant, but the 

 partiality of friendship will receive the account with 

 indulgence. 



The very day after the news that the French had 

 surrendered at discretion, I went into the packet for 

 Holyhead, the 5 th, I believe, of September. The 

 scheme was to ramble for three or four weeks, to 

 visit several places that we have long been in the 

 habit of passing by, and never seeing. 



The first place was Conway. It was too late for 

 much botany, but the sea prospect and the country is 

 beautiful. I then turned back and stopped at Aber. 

 I went up there to the top of a mountain, but met 

 with no plant worth notice ; the dry, barren summit 

 of a mountain is not the place to expect botanic 

 curiosities. Hearing at the inn of Mr. Davies, I 

 immediately wrote to him ; he came directly, and 

 in two hours you would have thought we had been 

 acquainted all our lives, — such is the liberality and 

 advantage of science. He is a most pleasing, well- 

 informed companion : his kindness and attention 

 were such that I staid six days. We were everyday 

 together *. 



There is a romantic glyn two miles long adjoining 

 the inn ; it is closed at the end by a deep rock, down 



* The amiable naturalist here mentioned is the Rev. Hugh 

 Davies, a correspondent and friend of Sir James. 



" Surely no chemical affinity is stronger than that of congenial 

 minds ! " — and these two admirers of nature, Mr. Caldwell and 

 Mr. Davies, were remarkably similar in character, if we may 

 judge from the similitude of their feelings, as expressed in their 

 letters. 



