Michael Faraday 39 



writing. I returned with him in April 1815, resumed 

 my studies in the Royal Institution, and have, as you 

 know, ever since remained there." 



The journey abroad was a great event in Faraday's 

 life, as he became acquainted with many famous men of 

 science. Unfortunately his position was an unpleasant 

 one. At the last moment, Sir Humphry Davy's valet had 

 refused to leave the country, and Faraday had undertaken 

 to replace him until he could engage a substitute at Paris; 

 but no suitable person being found there, Faraday had to 

 continue in the menial work which did not form part of 

 the duties for which he was engaged. " I should have 

 little to complain of," wrote Faraday, in connexion with 

 this matter, " were I travelling with Sir Humphry alone, 

 or were Lady Davy like him." An interesting incident 

 took place during their stay at Geneva in the summer of 

 1814. During a shooting expedition, Faraday accompanied 

 the party in order to load Davy's gun, and De La Rive, 

 their host, accidentally entering into conversation with 

 him, found that the boy who had been dining with his 

 domestics was an intelligent man of science; accordingly 

 he invited Faraday to dine at his table. To this Lady 

 Davy strongly objected, and matters had to be compro- 

 mised by dinner being served for Faraday in a separate 

 room. 



On his return home, after an absence of eighteen months, 

 Faraday was again engaged as an assistant at the Royal 

 Institution, and obtained some practice in lecturing at the 

 " City Philosophical Society." His independent scientific 

 work began in 1816, and was continued without interruption 

 until 1860. In 1827 Mr. Brande, who had succeeded Davy 

 as Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution, resigned 

 his position and Faraday was elected in his place, having 

 already, since 1825, occupied the position of Director of the 

 Laboratory. Faraday's emoluments were insufficient even 

 for his modest requirements, so that he had to supplement 

 them by undertaking private practice in chemical analysis 

 and expert work in the law courts; but though the income 

 which he thus secured was very substantial, he soon gave 

 it up, as he found it interfered with his scientific work. 



