THE MUSEUM HIS HEADQUARTERS 37 



generosity of Mr. Nathaniel Thayer, into a scientific 

 exploration of the Amazon on a considerable scale. The 

 departure of his father in April, 1865, left Alexander 

 Agassiz in sole charge of the Museum, until the return 

 of the party in the summer of 1866. 



In writing to Professor Kaup about this time, after 

 telling of his father's journey, he says : " Of course this 

 general riddance of all the assistants here leaves me 

 entirely alone to look after this immense Museum, and 

 I can hardly hope to do more than take care of what 

 comes in." The letter concludes : — 



" I can read German as well as English, but I do not 

 like to write German except when necessary, and as I 

 suppose English is perfectly familiar to you I write in 

 English. I so rarely have occasion to practise my Ger- 

 man either by writing or speaking, that it gets very 

 rusty and I of course prefer to use English when I can 

 as it comes more naturally. We all feel (at the North) 

 in a splendid condition and high spirits after all our 

 late successes. Zee, Richmond, Johnston, have all sur- 

 rendered. The war is finished this side of the Missis- 

 sippi and the Rebels across in Texas are already talking 

 of surrendering. Our French and English friends had 

 better take care how they allow any more rebel vessels 

 round about their harbors or they may get punished 

 for their past impudence." 



The first few lines of the following letter refer to a 

 difficulty with which most of Agassiz's correspondents 

 had to contend, for, unless well accustomed to his hand- 

 writing, it was no light matter to decipher one of his 

 letters. This task was not rendered easier from his habit 

 of running his words together till his pen ran dry, and 

 leaving most of the punctuation to the fancy of the reader. 



