130 Mary Somerville. 



that he was obliged to join the geologists at last. 

 He and Mrs. Buckland invited Somerville and me 

 to spend a week with them in Christclmrch College, 

 Oxford. Mr. and Mrs. Murchison were their guests 

 at the same time. Mr. Murchison (now Sir Roderick) 

 was then rising rapidly to the pre-eminence he now 

 holds as a geologist. We spent every day in seeing 

 some of the numerous objects of interest in that 

 celebrated university, venerable for its antiquity, 

 historical records, and noble architecture. 



Somerville and I used frequently to spend the 

 evening with Captain and Mrs. Kater. Dr. Wol- 

 laston, Dr. Young, and others were generally of the 

 party ; sometimes we had music, for Captain and 

 Mrs. Kater sang very prettily. All kinds of scientific 

 subjects were discussed, experiments tried and astro- 

 nomical observations made in a little garden in front 

 of the house. One evening we had been trying the 

 power of a telescope in separating double stars till 

 about two in the morning ; on our way home we 

 saw a light in Dr. Young's window, and when 

 Somerville rang the bell, down came the doctor him- 

 self in his dressing-gown, and said, " Come in ; I 

 have something curious to show you." Astronomi- 

 cal signs are frequently found on ancient Egyptian 

 monuments, and were supposed to have been em- 

 ployed by the priests to record dates. Now Dr. 



