VISIT FROM PROFESSOR AGASSIZ. 83 



in scientific reading, discussions, and excursions 



There was a soiree at Benjamin's for them, when very con- 

 siderable numbers of our most respectable literary men 

 were present. Agassiz is a highly interesting man, from 

 his talents, his great acquirements, especially in natural 

 history, his fine, open, winning manners, and a countenance 

 both handsome and beaming with high intelligence and the 

 kind affections, by which he is animated. He is the delight 

 of all the societies in which he moves. He is at present in 

 ill health on account of his great exertions in Boston, in the 

 course of lectures, and in innumerable scientific conversa- 

 tions. He had been confined for a month to his bed, and 

 for six weeks to his room. He is recovering his vigor 

 which was formerly very great. Once, as he informed us, 

 he could carry one man on his back, and at the same time 

 one man under each arm ; and he could lift an iron anvil 

 which the smiths were unable to raise. We are encouraged 

 to hope for a course of lectures from him in June, provided 



his health is sufficiently restored Mr. Desor is a 



scientific amateur, and has for ten years attended Agassiz 

 in his tours, &c. Count Pourtalis is a young man about 

 twenty-one, of a titled and opulent family in Neufchatel, 

 and also is an amateur of science. Agassiz is in his 

 fortieth year ; Desor some years younger. Agassiz speaks 

 English very well ; the others after a fashion, but can be 

 understood, although with some difficulty. All appear to 

 be true, amiable, and unsophisticated men, lovers of knowl- 

 edge for its own sake. All of them have scaled the high 

 Alps, and several peaks that had not been surmounted 

 before. I was almost entirely devoted to them during the 

 week, as were B. S., Jr., J. D. D., and to some extent the 

 ladies of the family. I made out, however, with some diffi- 

 culty, to prepare a long memorial to the Legislature nine- 

 teen pages on the subject of our new professorship for 

 agriculture and the arts. It was corrected and copied, and 

 passed to the Legislature on Tuesday May 10. The next 



