Lehrjahre and Wamlerjahre li_".i 



individually to examine certain organic substances. Now in analysing bodies of this 

 class much tact is required in devising the mode of treating them, and in adapting 

 trains of experiment to the individual case. These men go to Liebig who gives his 

 opinion as to how they are to set to work. He has a room where there are tables 

 and sinks and some furnaces, about a yard's length of table is allotted to each man 

 and there lie experimentalises (he brings his own apparatus and tests). Liebig looks up 

 the men once or twice a day, telling them how to go ou, etc. etc. Their investigations 

 are all published with the name of the experimentalize!- attached. Liebig therefore 

 presupposes delicacy of manipulation, and professes to teach the application of it to 

 particular cases. It is the first part that I wish to practise and, not having done 

 so sufficiently, of course instruction in the after part is useless. Under these circum- 

 stances and with the advice of Mr Miller I have determined not to enter the chemistry 

 class, but shall work at learning German instead. My arrangements I will tell you 

 at the end. 



I set off from London at 12. Motley assemblage of passengers. Lady Noel 

 on board ; and with the exception of treading upon a little poodle-dog's tail by accident, 

 and making it squeal horribly, and of tumbling against a lady who was trying to drink 

 unobserved a glass of wine, and so causing her to spill it over her neighbours, I got 

 on very well. Calm passage, not sick, good berth, in which I didn't sleep, and splendid 

 appetite. Osteiid at 3 in the morning, shore at 4J, tooled about, got passport viseed 

 etc., breakfast and railroad at 6. Very agreeable companions they had come with 

 me in the steamboat, and were travelling for their first time, a lady and her Governor ; 

 there were other English also in the same carriage. Stopped an hour at Malines just 

 looked about me. Liege at 4J ; ran about with one of my fellow-travellers, saw 

 everything dined and set off for Aix at 10 at night ; a couple of Englishmen still 

 sticking to me, one of whom tried to inveigle me into acting as a sort of courier, etc. 

 a " Speed Malise speed," but I dished him nicely. Aix at 4J in the morning, warm bath 

 etc. ; ran about the town, Charlemagne's throne, etc., etc. Good breakfast and set off 

 for Ciiln at 7 J, arrived there at 3 ; bolted to the bankers ; just had time to look at the 

 cathedral and off in the steamer; we came opposite Drachenfels about past 11 at 

 night. I disembarked at Konigswinter ; ran to the top of the Drachenfels and waited 

 to see the sun rise (the steamer would have been in Coblentz by 4 o'clock), bolted down 

 again in 1 3 minutes and *", grabbed a breakfast, and off for Coblentz ; found that 

 I could not get off to Giessen till 3 o'clock next morning, so I walked up the Chartreuse, 

 and in every possible direction till I was thoroughly tired (boiling sun) ; reinvigoratecl 

 myself with a brace of ices etc. The men at the inn (Hof zum Riesen) very uncivil, 

 so I knew that if I went to bed they would not awake me at 2 in the morning ; 

 consequently I took my luggage to the Schnellpost office, told the man my unfortunate 

 condition and asked him to let me sleep in a diligence. He immediately took compassion 

 on me and bundled about for the keys of the Passagierstube, but the keys were not 

 to be found so I picked out the most comfortable Postwagen and fell asleep most 

 cosily. However the chocolate ices, bonbons, and coffee that I had taken not exactly 

 agreeing in my inside, I had a desperate nightmare, fancying that 2 vipers were dancing 

 the " Cachuca," whilst an old rattlesnake was posturising in the " La Gitana." At this 

 I squealed awfully and being thoroughly awakened by a desperate rattling at the door, 



17 



