188 EETURN TO ENGLAND : AND VISIT TO PARIS 



was very bad and performed in boats, which were shot 

 down from a bank on to the stream and pulled up and down 

 the river, working many diagonals, at times fixed in the Pack 

 and at others free again. In about IJ hours we were across 

 in safety, but wet and cold enough. As, however, all the little 

 Cabarets have hot coffee, the cold did not much matter. 

 The third river was half fixed Ice with great holes of water, 

 and the boats were dragged or pushed or rowed according to 

 circumstances. We arrived late at Rotterdam. 



On the way home, a week later, all this had to be 

 traversed again, it being impracticable to pick up the mail 

 boat in the Rotterdam direction. 



I went the first thing next morning (March 6) to Miquel, 

 an intelligent and agreeable man, full of Botany, and who 

 will prove an acquisition to us. I spent the day with him. . . . 



Ley den, March 7.— Blume received me most warmly, 

 and has shown me such wonders in the Museum and at his 

 house as are almost incredible ; he has all the Japan things. 

 Blume promises me much, but he sq,js I must take them 

 myself, as he has no aid and no time to make selections. 



. . . You have no idea of the richness of this place, 

 such beautiful drawings, as good as Fitch's or very nearly ; 

 they beat the Paris ones, as Decaisne acknowledges. The 

 Bird collection is superb, specimens, stuffing and attitudes. 

 Here is a Penguin perfect, such a specimen I never saw ahve ; 

 it is a truly wonderful place. 



The Jar din des Plant es and this place are truly two 

 epochs in my life. I must work very hard when I get home. 

 I do not fear the lectures, but I am backward in British 

 Botany. 



Next day, the 8th, he writes : 



Of all the Botanists I have seen, except Decaisne, Miquel 

 is the one I like best and think the most promising ; he has 

 an excellent and rare knowledge of structure and of exotic 

 genera and species, and his respect for you is very great. . . . 

 Next to yourself and Mr. Brown I think I am asked more 

 for Darwin than anyone ; his book ^ has made him so many 



1 The Voyage of the * Beagle.' 



