332 Mary Somerville. 



tions of several of our societies were sent to me, and 







I began to write. I was now an old woman, very 

 deaf and with shaking hands ; but I could still see 

 to thread the finest needle, and read the finest print, 

 but I got sooner tired when writing than I used to 

 do. I wrote regularly every morning from eight till 

 twelve or one o'clock before rising. I was not 

 alone, for I had a mountain sparrow, a great pet, 

 which sat, and indeed is sitting on my arm as I write 

 these lines. 



The March ese Doria has a large property at Spezia, 

 and my dear friend Teresa Doria generally spent the 

 evening with us, when she and I chatted and played 

 Bezique together. Her sons also came frequently, 

 and some of the officers of the Italian navy. One 

 who became our very good friend is Captain William 

 Acton, now Admiral, and for two years Minister of 

 Marine ; he is very handsome, and, what is better, a 

 most agreeable, accomplished gentleman, who has 

 interested himself in many branches of natural his- 

 tory, besides being a good linguist. In summer the 

 British squadron, commanded by Admiral Smart, 

 came for five weeks to Spezia. My nephew, Henry 

 Fairfax, was commander on board the ironclad 

 "Resistance." Notwithstanding my age, I was so 

 curious to see an ironclad that I went all over the 

 "Resistance," even to the engine-room and screw- 



