174 T&E REV. J. G. WOOD. 



distance to be travelled, and partly from a doubt as to 

 whether the English connection might not suffer by his 

 temporary withdrawal from the scene of action. At 

 length, however, he arrived at the conclusion (a false 

 one, as events afterwards proved), that his absence for 

 a winter would lead to an increase of the number of 

 lectures in the following season ; that an American tour 

 was likely to prove profitable ; and "that in other ways, 

 besides that of mere lecturing, he might make the trip 

 a successful one. And so his decision was made, and 

 the American offer accepted. 



As, however, he was bound by the terms of his 

 agreement not to lecture in America before giving his 

 course at the Lowell Institute, he thought it advisable 

 to begin the season in England, and not to cross until 

 he could delay no longer ; there being, of course, no 

 object in his staying idle in America while he might 

 have been earning money in England. Therefore, lec- 

 tures were arranged for and given on September 28th, 

 at the Royal Naval School, New Cross ; on October 1st 

 at Coventry (a special lecture on the Horse) ; at New 

 Swindon two days later ; at Yarlet Hall on the 8th and 

 9th; at "Wolverhampton on the llth; at Westbourne 

 Park on the 12th ; and, finally, at Sheffield on the 1 5th. 



Meanwhile, preparations for the transatlantic tour 

 had been going on apace. Two drawing-frames were 

 thoroughly overhauled, put in perfect repair, and fitted 

 with new canvas. Notes had to be drawn up for the 

 special series at the Lowell Institute, on which, proba- 

 bly, the success of the trip would depend, while all the 



