1887 LETTER TO MR. SPENCER 49 



have seen that I have been " starring " at the Mansion 

 House. . . . 



I am immensely tickled with your review of your 

 own book. That is something most originally Spencerian. 

 I have hardly any suggestions to make, except in what 

 you say about the Rattlesnake work and my position on 

 board. 



Her proper business was the survey of the so-called 

 " inner passage " between the Barrier Eeef and the east 

 coast of Australia ; the New Guinea work was a hois 

 d'oeuvre, and dealt with only a small part of the southern 

 coast. 



Macgillivray was naturalist — I was actually Assistant- 

 Surgeon and nothing else. But I was recommended to 

 Stanley by Sir John Richardson, my senior oflScer at 

 Haslar, on account of my scientific proclivities. But 

 scientific work was no part of my duty. How odd it is 

 to look back through the vista of years ! Reading your 

 account of me, I had the sensation of studying a fly in 

 amber. I had utterly forgotten the particular circum- 

 stance that brought us together. Considering what wilful 

 tykes we both are (you particularly), I think it is a great 

 credit to both of us that we are firmer friends now than 

 we were then. Your kindly words have given me much 

 pleasure. 



This is a deuce of a long letter to inflict upon you, 



but there is more coming. The other day a Miss , 



a very good, busy woman of whom I and my wife have 

 known a little for some years, sent me a proj)osal of the 

 committee of a body calling itself the London Liberty 

 League (I think) that I should accept the position of one 

 of three honorary something or others, you and Mrs. 

 Fawcett being the other two. 



Now you may be sure that I should be glad enough 

 to be associated with you in anything ; but considering 

 the innumerable battles we have fought over education, 

 vaccination, and so on, it seemed to me that if the pro- 



VOL. Ill • E 



