28 PARENTAGE AND YOUTH CHAP, i 



me ere this from our folks at home, but perhaps I 

 may as well give you a synopsis of the whole of my 

 proceedings. I left Glasgow on Monday, and arrived 

 in Liverpool on Tuesday at three. ... I left Liver- 

 pool at half-past ten on Thursday morning, and arrived 

 in London at half-past nine at night, and being at a 

 loss what to do with myself, went to the nearest hotel, 

 viz. the Victoria, Euston Square, from whence I imme- 

 diately wrote to Murchison announcing my arrival. 

 I did not hear from him till next day (Friday) at five 

 o'clock, and in the meantime went and saw St. Paul's 

 and the outsides of some of the streets, for you see 

 I had always to be running home to look for a letter. 

 He asked me to breakfast with him on Saturday 

 morning. This I did. His house is a splendid one. 

 They are quite people of fashion, but, notwithstanding, 

 Mrs. M. is a kindly body, and made me quite at 

 ease at once. I should previously have informed 

 you that Mr. M. told me in his note that he had 

 given up the idea of taking me to Russia with him, 

 but said he was almost certain he had procured me 

 a much better place, viz. that of Assistant Geologist 

 to De la Beche, who is at present making the 

 Ordnance Geological Survey for Government. To 

 cut the matter short, I may here tell you that on 

 that day he again wrote to De la B. that the matter 

 might be finally settled, and on Tuesday last had a 

 most satisfactory letter from De la B., enclosing 

 one for me, officially appointing me to the situation 

 of Assistant Geologist, with pay of 95. a day. * Here's 

 a start.' On Monday first I leave this for Bristol /. 

 Great Western Railway, and on Tuesday I shall be 

 at Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, there to join 

 De la B. Tenby lies, I think, at the mouth of 



