HIS LONDON LECTURE. 441 



assisted by Mr Allon), and am now as well as could be 

 expected. Mr Allon is a clergyman, but an Independ- 

 ent one. 



' I had a noble audience of, as the Morning Adver- 

 tiser says, five thousand persons, and I carried them 

 with me throughout. During the earlier stages of the 

 Address they were attentive, which I hardly expected, 

 as my preliminary matter was somewhat scientific and 

 dry, and throughout the concluding part rapturous in 

 their applause. On the whole, a more successful address 

 was never delivered in the great Hall. Allon' s pronunci- 

 ation was beautiful, and showed me better than a 

 hundred lessons the faults of my own. He read, too, 

 with great vigour, and gave to my style the proper 

 classical effect. 



' I dined on the Tuesday at Dr James Hamilton's, 

 and met several members of his Session, among the rest 

 our old friend, James Robertson, who was making kind 

 inquiries after you. I began to-day with a wild-goose 

 chase after Mr Searles Wood, the geological concholo- 

 gist ; but, after driving to Kentish Town, found only a 

 vacant house, and that he had removed to Egham. I 

 have, however, had my shells determined for me by a 

 still higher authority, whom I fortunately encountered at 

 the British Museum, Deshayes, the greatest concholo- 

 gist in the world. I find I would soon get very tired of 

 London.' 



In June of the same year he was again in Cromarty, 

 and we may glean a jotting or two from his letters. 

 The town was now sinking into decay, and the light of 

 the past touched the prospect for his eye with melan- 

 choly hues. 



Cromarty, 18th June, 1854. 



' Cromarty is fast becoming a second " Deserted 



