ii EARLY LIFE IN LONDON 37 



his views on atomic motion and interchange, the first 

 definite statement of a series of chemical phenomena 

 which in the hands of van't Hoff and others have 

 become of the highest import. All this was the work 

 of very few years. After that he remained silent, 

 but he was nevertheless working on many subjects. 

 Thus he clearly foresaw the principles upon which the 

 modern development of the steam-engine depends, and 

 though he failed for want of constructive skill, he 

 pointed the way which engineers have since followed 

 with conspicuous success. 



In my second year he did me the honour to ask me 

 to become his private assistant, and I derived great 

 advantage from working with him. I also acted as his 

 lecture assistant during the first session in which he 

 was appointed to Graham's chair, and prepared the 

 chemical museum for him. As this was my first 

 official position the letter in which the offer was made 

 is not without interest ; moreover it indicates the 

 methods of instruction in chemistry which Williamson 

 introduced in those early days : 



3, ARUNDEL TERRACE, BRIGHTON. 

 July %th, 1855. 



MY DEAR ROSCOE, 



The Council appointed me yesterday afternoon Professor 

 of Chemistry, including Practical Chemistry, and my first act 

 in that capacity is to ask you to give the College the benefit 

 of your services as assistant to the general Chemistry Class. 

 The duties of that office will be laborious enough, especially 

 during the first session, and require a man of scientific acquire- 

 ments and skill. In fact, they will occupy in all probability 

 the full business time of every day in the week for six months. 

 They will consist of preparing the experiments for the lectures 

 and often assisting me to devise them, in recording the experi- 

 ments in a journal, and last, though not least, in assisting me 

 in the instruction of the class in the following manner : 



I intend giving the students exercises in the most import- 

 ant points taught in the lectures, and shall be anxious to get 



