i 3 4 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



know, sir, that I am Captain Snooks, of the Royal 

 Dragoons, and I shall send my friend to call upon you 

 in the morning, for I consider that my honour demands 

 reparation." I said : "You can do as you like, and I 

 wish you a very good evening." I think that the case 

 of a man receiving a challenge from an officer just 

 previous to his delivering a lecture to 2,000 people is 

 perhaps unique. I do not know, however, that it 

 affected my nerves, and I suppose my military friend 

 thought better of it, for I never heard from him 

 again. 



The second public lecture was delivered on the 

 Monday by Dr. Livingstone, and an amusing incident 

 occurred at its commencement. Of course Sir Roderick 

 Murchison, being present, introduced the eminent 

 lecturer, and also as a matter of course Sir Roderick 

 had had a good dinner with a bottle of port to 

 follow, and when he came forward to introduce Living- 

 stone he said with his accustomed empressement : 

 " Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour to introduce 

 to you my distinguished friend Dr. Livingstone, who, 

 as you know, has just returned from his celebrated 

 travels in Asia." At which the whole audience 

 roared with laughter. Sir Roderick at once pulled 

 himself together and said : " I beg your pardon, 

 ladies and gentlemen. The fact is we have been all 

 the morning in the geographical section exploring 

 all parts of the known and the unknown world, and 

 for the moment I absolutely forgot where my dis- 

 tinguished friend had been. Of course I meant to say 

 that he had just returned from his wonderful explora- 

 tions in Africa." 



The following letter from Lyell with regard to his 

 address contains interesting reference to the subject 

 then occupying many minds. 



