186 LIFE AND FKIENDSHIP AT KEW 



It turned out, however, that these had been already observed 

 by Sir William Guise in 1870 and von Lasaulx 1 in 1872. 



Geology, too, offered a special interest at Le Puy in the 

 skeleton of a pre-historic man found in a cave with the remains 

 of a rhinoceros, elephant, and other extinct mammals. This 

 Huxley carefully examined and sketched. 



Then, to quote Hooker once more, 



after leaving the Ardeche, with no Scrope to lead or follow, 

 our scientific ardours collapsed. We had vague views as to 

 future travel. Whatever one proposed was unhesitatingly 

 acceded to by the other. A more happy-go-lucky pair of 

 idlers never joined company. 



So they wandered to Dauphiny ; then, driven from Grenoble 

 by heat and maleficent drains, to the Black Forest. 



By August 2 he was home, ready to attend the meeting of the 

 British Association at Bradford, having parted from Huxley at 

 Baden Baden, ' really remarkably well,' as he reports to Darwin. 



On his return he found a surprise for himself and his friend. 



Kew : August 4 (probably 5), 1873. 



Taking up the Times last night, over a ' Jamaica ' in 

 the kitchen, I find it announced that you, Tyndall, Airy, 

 and self, are all made Knights of the Polar Star ! 



[His own insignia had arrived] — a great nuisance, having 

 to send it back with a long yarn. I shall get into the black 

 books of all the crowned Heads, and think of putting up a 

 notice .warning off all such. 



For acceptance was formally barred by the rule that 4 the 

 Queen neither authorises in her officers and Civil Servants, 

 the acceptance, nor allows the wearing of these orders,' in 

 accordance with which Hooker had previously refused decora- 

 tions offered by the Tsar and the Emperor of Brazil. 



A common line of action had to be arranged, for even one 

 who, like Tyndall, held no official position,, was not free in the 

 matter. 



1 A. von Lasaulx, a Sicilian, published Ein geographisches Charakterbild, 

 1879, and Der Aetna in 2 vols, in 1880, from the MSS. of the late Dr. Wolfgang 

 Sartorius. 



