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CHAPTER IX. 



1874-1878. 



OXFORD FIELD GEOLOGY IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, 

 WALES, AND SCOTLAND. 



MR PRESTWICH was not a candidate for the vacant 

 Professorship at Oxford, and the intimation that the 

 Chair of Geology was about to be offered to him came 

 as a great surprise. It was so unexpected that he had 

 actually given testimonials to two of the candidates. 

 An official position in the old University was very 

 tempting, yet there was one element of anxiety, and 

 that was his uncertain health. Dr Owen Rees, his 

 medical adviser and the friend of his boyhood, on being 

 consulted, gave an encouraging opinion. Accordingly 

 a prompt acceptance was sent to the letter, dated 23rd 

 June 1874, from the late Dr Liddell, 1 Dean of Christ 

 Church, who at the time was Vice- Chancellor of the 

 University, and in right of his office made the offer of 

 the appointment. The terms in which the Dean wrote 

 were thought only too complimentary by our geologist. 

 The writer cannot withhold a brief extract : 



" I am fully sensible that the University will derive 



1 The Very Reverend Henry George Liddell, born February 6, 1811 ; 

 died January 18, 1898. 



