iv.J CHOICE OF A PROFESSION, 1831. 69 



made acquaintance with the chief scientific celebrities 

 of the time, and was by them warmly welcomed. Drs. 

 Murchison and Bnbbage, and Mrs. Somerville, he men- 

 tions as having received him with special kindness in 

 London. 



At Cambridge he spent one of the happiest weeks of 

 his life in the society of AY he well, Sedgwick, Airy, and 

 Peacock, from whom he received much sympathy and 

 kindness. Oxford he visited, and was present at Com- 

 memoration. Buckland did the honours of the place ; 

 but Oxford of course had fewer intellectual attractions 

 for a young physicist than Cambridge. With Drs. 

 Buckland, Conybeare, and Phillips he went to Shotover 

 to see the upper strata of the lias exposed, and after- 

 wards was present in the theatre when Washington 

 Irving and others received degrees. 



'LONDON, May 1831. 



'Only arrived, when Sir A. Wood came in and told us 

 that the king was on the point of going down to 

 prorogue Parliament in person, preparatory to its dissolu- 

 tion. We were from accidental circumstances too late 



'e him go down, but saw him leave the door of the 

 House in state. King looking strange and nervous. Ex- 



nient in London very great. Turbulence in both 

 Houses very great. Went into the House of Commons, 

 and saw the members coming out of it, many of them 

 trembling for their seats. Afterwards saw Lords Grey, 

 Durham, and Brougham in carriages, and Dan O'Connell 



\valk 



' I'.iv;ikf;isted with Mr. Lyell. Met Mr. P.al.b;ige, wlmm 

 I had long wished to see : very much interested by 

 my account of Brewster's analysis of the s|c truin, and 

 with iv<_r;inl t> r'raimhoWs rings. Spoke of his machine 

 as a work of oxiety. 1 



'May }4th. Breakfasted with Mr. Babbage; much 

 and interested by him : present, Mr. I. veil, 

 . Mr. ]>rink\vater. Captain I h ink\\ ater. Mr. 

 bage showed to me some of his travelling instru- 

 ments, Kaler's circle, horizons, &c. ; and some curious 



