844 Mary Somerville. 



Polar Sea, which, T have no doubt, will be attained, 

 now that steam has given such power to penetrate 

 the fields of floating ice. It would be more than a 

 dashing exploit to make a cruise on that unknown 

 sea ; it would be a discovery of vast scientific im- 

 portance with regard to geography, magnetism, tem- 

 perature, the general circulation of the atmosphere 

 and oceans, as well as to natural history. I cannot 

 but regret that I shall not live to hear the result of 

 these voyages. 



The British laws are adverse to women ; and we 

 are deeply indebted to Mr. Stuart Mill for daring 

 to show their iniquity and injustice. The law in the 

 United States is in some respects even worse, in- 

 sulting the sex, by granting suffrage to the newly- 

 emancipated slaves, and refusing it to the most 

 highly-educated women of the Eepublic. 



[For the noble character and transcendent intellect of 

 Mr. J. S. Mill my mother had the greatest admiration. 

 She had some correspondence with him on the subject of 

 the petition to Parliament for the extension of the suf- 

 frage to women, which she signed ; and she also wrote to 

 thank him warmly for his book on the " Subjection of 

 "Women." In Mr. Mill's reply to the latter he says : 



