CHAPTER XI 



SCIENCE AND ARCHAEOLOGY (1866-1867) 



(Age 32-33) 



It is hardly necessary to tell the reader that 

 the Lubbock family was distinguished among 

 bands of brothers such as the Lytteltons, Studds, 

 Fosters, and so on, for cricketing talent. Alfred, 

 no doubt, was the most eminent of them, but in 

 the year 1866, at which we are now arrived, 

 Edgar was Captain of the Eton Eleven, and Sir 

 John, in his diary, records of him with pride 

 that "in a match against Old Etonians he got 

 the head score and took nine wickets — a most 

 unusual performance." We find Sir John him- 

 self playing cricket at a date considerably later 

 than this, but I do not think that he was taking 

 part in this particular match. 



It was a busy year with him — a remark which 

 might be made equally of every single year of 

 his long life. He was continually solicited with 

 requests to be on committees, and so on, of 

 various scientific societies, and frequently to 

 act as their president. Such letters as the follow- 

 ing, which has an interest of its own, are frequent, 

 and typical of much of this correspondence. It 



VOL. I 81 Q 



