The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



which trickles with the drops of water resulting 

 from the combustion; I make them jump with the 

 explosions of the thunderous mixture. Later, I 

 show them, with the same invariable success, the 

 splendours of phosphorus, the violent powers of 

 chlorine, the loathsome smells of sulphur, the met- 

 amorphoses of carbon, and so on. In short, in a 

 series of lessons, the principal non-metallic elements 

 and their compounds are passed in review during 

 the course of the year. 



The thing was bruited abroad. Fresh pupils 

 came to me, attracted by the marvels of the school. 

 Some more places were laid in the dining-hall; 

 and the principal, who was more interested in the 

 profits on his beans and bacon than in chemistry, 

 congratulated me on this accession of boarders. 1 



However, we must make it clear, without 

 wishing in any way to belittle the importance 

 or the magical results of chemistry, that the 

 latter was not the only attraction of the 

 young schoolmaster's teaching, any more than 

 it was the sole subject on his programme. 



Among the other subjects taught, one in 

 especial had the power of interesting master 

 and pupil alike: 



This was open-air geometry, practical surveying. 

 The College had none of the necessary outfit; but, 

 with my fat pay seven hundred francs a year, if 



1 Souvenirs, x., 332-336. The Life of the Fly, chap, 

 xix., " A Memorable Lesson." 



94 



