30 PARENTAGE AND YOUTH CHAP, i 



with him to a Philosophical soiree at Mr. Bowerbank s, 

 and we had a good deal of interesting discussion. On 

 Tuesday, after writing to Nichol and home, I went to 

 Belgrave Square, and there got my official appoint 

 ment. De la B. s letter is a very kind one. In his 

 note to Murchison he speaks of my pay rising. I am 

 thoroughly convinced that this is a much better thing 

 than going to Russia. If I behave, and am found 

 worthy, I am sure to rise in the service. 



By and by the Survey will go to Scotland. Prob 

 ably I may get the neighbourhood of Glasgow to do, 

 including my own island. After leaving Murchison 

 I went through Westminster, and saw Dr. Johnson s 

 and Garrick s gravestones side by side, and all the 

 others. O rare Ben Jonson ! The cloud -capt 

 towers ! I afterwards met Murchison at Somerset 

 House. 



Yesterday I spent in the Zoological Gardens, 

 Regent s Park, and also visited the Colosseum. At 

 six I dined with the Geological Club 1 at the Crown and 

 Anchor, Strand. It has a most shabby outside, but 

 is one of those old-fashioned splendid inns inside, 

 which, I suppose, are not to be found out of London. 

 It was here that Fox and the great Whigs of that 

 great day used to meet and enjoy themselves. Lyell 

 and Featherstonhaugh were there, and Captain Pringle ; 

 Murchison in the chair. There were about twenty- 

 five gentlemen present. I was introduced to Dr. Buck- 

 land and some others. Murchison introduced me also 

 to Mr. Taylor, the croupier and treasurer of the 

 Society, and asked him to take me beside him. I 

 heard him say to Buckland : You remember young 

 Ramsay, who made the model of Arran ? I shall intro- 



1 See postea, p. 121. 



