412 AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 
no one else that night, and am not clever at describing the intrica- 
cies of a supper at the Table d’Hote, with which I closed the day, 
I will at once pass on to the next morning, at a little before six 
o'clock, and start fairly on a geological expedition planned for the 
day, partly to enlighten the members as to the formations in the 
neighbourhood, and partly, perhaps, to prepare them for the solem- 
nities of the approaching evening, when there was not only a din- 
ner to be eaten, but also a ball to attend. 
According to appointment, there was a considerable muster at 
“The College” soon after half-past five, and that in spite of a driv- 
ing rain, which threatened complete discomfiture to every thing 
short of a Macintosh. The members present consisted of a motley 
group from almost all nations under heaven. Besides the French, 
Swiss, and Germans, who seemed to be about equal in number, there 
was a Russian, a Belgian, an American, and (when I appeared) an 
Englishman ; and I must say that nothing could have exceeded the 
perfect cordiality and friendly feeling which seemed to animate 
every one, without exceptiun, and united the whole party into one 
joyous brotherhood, determined to find amusement and, indeed, in- 
struction, in every object and every incident that presented itself. 
The only men of any European reputation present were, Dr. 
Louis Agassiz, of Neufchatel, decidedly the first ; Professor Studer, 
of Berne, a rising and very talented geologist ; Professor Thurman, 
of Porrentruy, who bas written a valuable memoir on that part of 
the Jura range in the Canton of Berne; M. d’Omalins d’Halloy, 
the author of a good work on geology, and who has studied his own 
country (Belgium) extremely well; and M. Gininghausen, who 
some years ago made an expedition to England, and published works 
on the geology of our south-western coast. Besides these, and M. 
Braun, of Carlsruhe, a most excellent mineralogist, I cannot recal 
any names of note. 
Let us now start upon our expedition, which was, we were told, 
to last till two or three o’clock, and show to us the valley of disloca- 
tion immediately south of Porrentruy, disclosing the geological se- 
ries from the Portland oolite, on which the town stands, across the 
Kimmeridge clay, and through the coralline oolite and Oxford clay, 
to the great oolite. 
Leaving the town and proceeding southwards, we began to rise 
gradually, and soon attained a moderate elevation, whence the chain 
of the Vosges in France, and the mountains of the Black Forest in 
Germany, formed a beautiful finish to the extensive prospect which 
opened upon us. I must remark here that I was astonished at the 
