vi.] PROFESSORUL LIFE. 113 



words of those who once felt and still vividly remember 

 them. But as one session in outward appearance was 

 much like another, as the incidents "in them were few, 

 and the adventures none, I shall not attempt to describe 

 them in detail. The main thing to notice will be the 

 course which Forbes' own investigations and thoughts 

 during each winter were pursuing, and this will be best 

 seen in selections from his wide correspondence. 



What events or adventures his life contained were 



reserved for his summers. Of these, I shall notice in 



part of the narrative those which he spent in Great 



Britain. His foreign tours and Alpine explorations will 



be given in some chapters devoted to themselves. 



In November 1834, Forbes left his second home at 

 Greenhill, and went with his sisters to live in Melville 

 Street. His two brothers, each on his marriage, had 

 before then quitted the family home : his brother Charles 

 had married in July 1833, and taken up his abode at 

 Hermanstone ; Sir John, in August 1834, had gone to 

 live at his country seat, Fettercairn. James lived in 

 Melville Street only one winter. In May 1835 he and 

 his sisters removed to Dean House. This, which was 

 then an old country house, has since been removed to 

 make way for the beautiful cemetery of Dean. 



The following letters will show what subjects were 

 engaging Forbes* thoughts during the winter session 

 of 1834-35 : 



To PROFESSOR POWELL. 



' Decemljer Ixf, 1834. 



1 writ i- to I- 11 you, as you particularly interest your- 

 self in the affair of radiant heat, that I have worked a 

 great deal since I saw you, with Melloni's Multiplier, and 

 i entire success. It is a most inana^mblo, com- 

 parable, and satisfactory instrument. I have succeeded 

 peating some of his more dcli-atr rxpnmiri.is. such 

 as the refraction of tin- h<-at <>f boiling rofcer, \\ith 

 the most ample success, and have shown many of them 

 to other Professors here. 



