FURTHER INTERCOURSE WITH CHARLES BLACK. 191 



already been dried, named, and fastened on their protecting 

 papers. He carefully selected the best, and checked former 

 determinations, so as to render the herbarium as perfect as 

 possible. John came to the rescue in case of difficulty or 

 dispute. A learned consultation would then take place 

 round some outrageous flower, which would not quietly 

 submit to imprisonment like its meeker and more orderly 

 companions, though obliged ultimately to succumb. When 

 determined, each plant was handed to one of the attendant 

 warders to Mrs. Black, who was free from domestic duties 

 when the children were in bed, or to John who were in 

 readiness in their stockings to consign it to its appropriate 

 compartment. The lady was as obedient and silent as a 

 mute, according to orders issued by the governor; but John, 

 with the instinct to scepticism and self-conducted observa- 

 tion of the true rebellious scientist, was inclined not 

 unfrequently to dispute the justice of the imperial ukase, 

 and would stand to examine every specimen of which he 

 had the slightest doubt. In spite of remonstrance and 

 assurance, he would insist on being fully convinced in his 

 own mind a habit which, however commendable in itself, 

 was sometimes deemed out of place, with the mass of work 

 before them to be done, and which led to pretty little 

 comedies that varied the severities of the evening. 



When the general arrangement into classes had been in 

 this way completed, the bundles were carefully tied up and 

 numbered. Each class had then to be examined again 

 in succession, and divided into the requisite orders and 

 species, which were marked on the floor, till the whole 

 herbarium was finally completed. Only two of the best 

 specimens in each case were kept, and the rest were put 



