98 Lift- <nid Lcttn-x of Francis Gallon 



passed Cuxhaven and Helgoland, and had a long passage to Hull. We also got stopped 

 by the Humber fogs, and could not proceed for a long time, making on the whole 

 3J days and 4 nights. I was dreadfully seasick and although like a true Briton nobody 

 (when on terra firma) can enter more fully into the spirit of "The Sea, the sea etc." or 

 " On the glad waters of the dark blue sea," yet my enthusiasm dies within me, or rather 

 like Bob Acres' courage "oozes out," but unfortunately not like his "out of the palms 



of his hands," but I arrived at Hull at 9 o'clock on Monday. The time of absence 



from England was determined at 60 days. I was absent 60 days all but a quarter of an 

 hour. After custom house etc. at Hull I set off for Kirk Ella and took the Broadleys 

 by surprise, who have been lionising me all about. Mrs Broadley unfortunately is not 

 able to leave her room ; Anne & Charlotte are the only ones at home. I shall escort 

 Anne to Lucy so as to be at Moor Hall 1 at 5 on Saturday and at Birmingham about 6 

 or ^ past. I shall then go to the Hospital, if I cannot get leave of absence. Please to tell 

 all about what I am to do. Accounts etc. I will settle then. I am very sorry that I 

 could not come to see you, but I wished particularly to call on the Broadleys, if possible 

 and accordingly went round by Hull. They are most kind and good natured to me, and 

 Anne sends her love etc. Kirk Ella is a most comfortable looking place, surrounded by 

 a colony of Sykes, their houses looking like towers to the ramparts of their garden walls. 

 The weather is rather foggy. However tell Bessy that Yorkshire is not such a very 

 bad place after all. The Humber is muddy awfully but anything looks well after the 

 Elbe. And as for the English Hedge Rows and Green Lanes you cannot appreciate 

 them till after having been abroad. Tell Bessy that if possible I am three times as loyal 

 as ever ! The reason of this unreadable 

 writing is the very uncomfortable length 

 of my pen. I have marked the length 

 below. 



Good bye and believe me ever your affectionate son, FRANCIS GALTON. 



There are a few lines from Anne Broadley herself to Sister Bessv 

 telling of Francis' bright face : 



" The surprise as well as joy were very nearly too much for my weak head, and I 

 was in a bewilderment the whole day, and still I cannot help looking at him with a sort 

 of feeling as if it were a dream, and it cannot be true that Francis Galton is actually 

 seated opposite to me at home. Mama is nearly as happy as I am to have a Galton at 

 last under her roof. He looks very well and is just the same charming boy as ever, not 

 a bit spoilt, full of enthusiasm on all he has seen and giving a most agreeable account 



of his most agreeable tour. Mama thinks I have not said enough about him before 



I feel proud not a little of his coming to see me." 



Francis escorted Miss Broadley to Moor Hall, a delightful cavalier, 

 but if we read his letters from the early days at the Larches to the end 

 of his Cambridge career, we feel impelled to point to this continental 

 tour as the dividing line between boyhood and manhood. Francis is 

 no longer a charming boy. 



1 The home of his sister Lucy, who had married James Moilliet in 1832, 



