CORRESPONDENCE WITH DR. MANTELL. 195 



FROM DR. MANTELL. 



> 



OF Agassiz, I ought not to omit mentioning that he is 

 a highly intelligent, unassuming, liberal man ; he spent 

 four days with me, and although the then dangerous ill- 

 ness of Mrs. Mantell and the presence of Dr. Buckland, 

 occasioned considerable interruption to his investigations, I 

 learned much from him, and parted with him with great 

 regret. He was in ecstasies with my wonderful fishes. My 

 salmo, he considered with me as belonging to the family of 

 Salmonidae, and from its analogy to the smelt (osmerus) he 



named it Osmeroides Mantelli And now I have a 



piece of news which I am sure will give you pleasure. I 

 verily believe I have persuaded my friend Lyell to visit 

 your country and you ! Alas, I cannot come, there is no 

 hope for me. My only prospect is a life of labor and anx- 

 iety. Too happy shall I consider myself, if ever I can get 

 emplayment, this is hard after twenty-three years' intense 

 labor, but so it is ! To Lyell what a field of honor America 

 opens ; no one is so well acquainted with the tertiary forma- 

 tion as he ; and I am quite certain that there is a rich har- 

 vest for him. He begins to talk seriously about it ; if he 

 does, his wife, a charming girl, the daughter of Leon- 

 ard Horner, (formerly of the London University,) will accom- 

 pany him Brighton is very full ; the Royal family 



came a fortnight ago ; but to the surprise and regret of the 

 greater part of the nation, the King has dismissed his lib- 

 eral ministers, and that tyrant Wellington, and Peel, are to 

 form our administration ; what the result will be Heaven 

 only knows. I think it is impossible to retrograde ; but 

 nothing can be predicted with any certainty. In conse- 

 quence of these political changes, the King and Queen left 

 the palace here yesterday morning, and it is supposed will 

 not return this season ; if they do not it will materially in- 

 jure this town for the present winter. I fear America will 

 be the only hope left for freedom, but she must get rid 

 of her cursed slavery ! 



