iOG JORNAL Dlí SGIENCIAS MATHKMATíCAS 



End of the trial 



My second London journey ordered hy the Government on the 

 15*^ Oct. 1875, was undertaken at the request of the Governinent ad- 

 vocates, who pressed upon the convenience of having somebody there 

 well aware of the whole maíter and sufficiently empowered to faciUtate 

 the last compromises that might serve as a basis for the decision of the 

 tribunal, Arriving at London on the 26.^'' Oct., and having imntiediately 

 communicated with the advocates and through them with those of the 

 defendants, I endeavoured to push the compromise, to which the 

 Judge iirged both parties, as far as possible without inconvenience, in 

 order to obtain the desired final settlement of the case. In this work 

 we proceeded till the 17.*^ Nov., the day appointed for the audience 

 in which, as it was thought, the case woukl come on for hearing and 

 be finally settled. 



The right to the collections was no longer contested, nor did the giv- 

 ing of them up seem still to be doubtful; but there were pecuniary de- 

 mands to be met with, which were suggested on the ground of supposed 

 debts of the Governmemt to tlie Welwitsch estate; not so much as 

 formerly as arrears of salary, but rather under the pretext of the la- 

 bours and studies which were supposed to have been made by Wel- 

 witsch in bis collected material, since the time that bis salary had been 

 stopped at London. We were threatened with an inquiry respecting 

 tliese studies, which would hardly be possible in an equitable point 

 of view; and which, in a judicial one, could not be forced upon us in 

 any way; being but an evasion of law pursuits, ably invented for the 

 purpose of embarrassing and adjourning the solution of the case and 

 impressing us with a supposed necessity of greater concessions. 



Having had nothing granted and granting still nothing to our op- 

 ponents, as to our right, it was thought inevitable to make some con- 

 cession as to the money question, in order to get the case settled 

 sooner, and not as any obedience whatever to their intimations. The fol- 

 lowing agreeraent was therefore proposed on our part according to the 

 instrucíions and powers with which we had been invested. £ 500 to 



