106 Mary Somerville. 



never seen any that were good, I was not aware of 

 their beauty. 



I also took lessons in mineralogy from Mrs. 

 Lowry, a Jewess, the wife of an eminent line 

 engraver, who had a large collection of minerals, 

 and in the evening Somerville and I amused our- 

 selves with our own, which were not numerous. 



Our house in Hanover Square was within a walk- 

 ing distance of many of our friends, and of the 

 Royal Institution in Albemarle Street, where I 

 attended the lectures, and Somerville frequently 

 went with me. The discoveries of Sir Humphry 

 Davy made this a memorable epoch in the annals of 

 chemical science. At this time there was much talk 

 about the celebrated Count Rumford's steam kitchen, 

 by which food was to be cooked at a very small 

 expense of fuel. It was adopted by several people,, 

 and among others by Naldi, the opera singer, who 

 invited some friends to dine the first day it was to 

 be used. Before dinner they all went to see the 

 new invention, but while Naldi was explaining its 

 structure, it exploded and killed him on the spot. 

 By this sad accident his daughter, a pretty girl and 

 a good singer, was left destitute. A numerously- 

 attended concert was given for her benefit, at which 

 Somerville and I were present. She was soon after 

 engaged to sing in Paris, but ultimately married the 



