real Stnicfnre of CSlacicr Tee. 143 



constancy of his alleged facts, or the cogency of his reasons. 

 We parted at Neiifchatel with even more cordiality (at least 

 on my part), than we had met at the Grimsel ; and my letters 

 written afterwards testify that I freely acknowledged my obli- 

 gations. Accordingly, in vindicating the originality of my ob- 

 servation, I resolved to take the plan which seemed to me most 

 likely to secure a continuance of a friendship I so much valued. 

 Were I to write to complain directly of want of justice on his 

 part, though I did not doubt his willingness to correct his 

 error, I felt that it would place him in a somewhat pain- 

 ful position, after so direct an assertion of his own rights. I 

 preferred a different, and, I think, a natural course. Know- 

 ing well the facts stated in the commencement of this paper, 

 and feeling that M. Agassiz must be equally aware of their 

 truth, I resolved to make no reclamation, and especially to 

 testify in my letters no irritation at the part which he had 

 taken ; but simply in a short and matter-of-fact communica- 

 tion to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which I lost no time 

 in transmitting to him, to state my own version of the 

 affair, and claim my discovery without the slightest allusion to 

 its having been erroneously claimed elsewhere. This was the 

 origin of the paper which, at Professor Jameson's request, was 

 communicated afterwards to his Journal ; and any one who 

 looks at it in this view, will, I think, admit that it was well 

 calculated to answer the end proposed. It has not a trace of 

 a controversial character, but 1 well knew that when it should 

 meet M. Agassiz' eye, it would be understood as an intima- 

 tion that when he should next publish, I expected my claims 

 to original observation to be more carefully regarded, though, 

 in consideration of our friendship, and of the informal charac- 

 ter of the communication to M. de Humboldt, I was both 

 willing and happy to dispense with any apology. 



At the same time that I communicated mj'^ paper to M. 

 Agassiz, I sent it to Mr Heath, the only other party to the ob- 

 servation of the 9th August, — referring to the letter to Hum- 

 boldt as the cause of the publication, and requesting his friendly 

 opinion as to whether I had acted prudently in thus assei'ting 

 my claim, and whether he considered all that 1 had stated to 

 be justly my due. To this letter I received the following re- 

 ply, which is here printed with Mr Heath's kind permission. 



