i8S2 HUXLEY AT LYNTON 



45 



That there was no difficulty in this scheme was shown 

 by the experience of the Scotch Universities ; and the ex- 

 pense would be less than the proposed compensation tax. 



The chief part of the summer vacation Huxley spent at 

 Lynton, on the north coast of Devonshire. " The Happy 

 Family," he writes to Dr. Dohrn, " has been spending its 

 vacation in this pretty place, eighteen miles of up hill and 

 down dale from any railway." It was a country made for 

 the long rambles he delighted in after the morning's due 

 allowance of writing. And although he generally preferred 

 complete quiet on his holidays, with perfect freedom from all 

 social exigencies, these weeks of rest were rendered all the 

 pleasanter by the unstudied and unexacting friendliness of 

 the family party which centred around Mr. and Mrs. F. 

 Bailey of Lee Abbey hard by Lady Tenterden, the Julius, 

 and the Henry Pollocks, the latter old friends of ours. 



Though his holiday was curtailed at either end, he was 

 greatly set up by it, and writes to chaff his son-in-law for 

 taking too little rest 



I was glad to hear that F. had stood his fortnight's holiday 

 so well ; three weeks might have knocked him up ! 



On the same day, September 26, he wrote the letter to 

 Dr. Dohrn, mentioned above, answering two inquiries one 

 as to arrangements for exhibiting at the Fisheries Exhibition 

 to be held in London the following year, the other as to 

 whether England would follow the example of Germany and 

 Italy in sending naval officers to the Zoological Station at 

 Naples to be instructed in catching and preserving marine 

 animals for the purposes of scientific research. 



With respect to question No. 2, I am afraid my answer must 

 be less hopeful. So far as the British Admiralty is represented 

 by the ordinary British admiral, the only reply to such a proposi- 

 tion as you make that I should expect would be that he (the 



British admiral, to wit) would see you d d first. However, 



I will speak of the matter to the Hydrographer, who really is 

 interested in science, at the first opportunity. 



For many years before this, and until the end of his 

 life, there was another side to his correspondence which 

 deserves mention. 



