182 THE LIFE OF JAMES ]). PORBES. [CHAP. 



Oxford entertained us with some anecdotes. The 

 luncheon over and the Prince gone, I had an eng, 

 ment to look over the Natural Philosophy apparatus, and 

 that was hardly seen when dinner hour arrived. I dined 

 at Prof. Powell's, where we had a small but excellent 

 party, including Airy, Adams, and Leverrier. I had 

 resolved not to go to the evening lecture, but to go 

 .early home to prepare to be off this morning; but at 

 Powell's we heard that the evening was very fine, and 

 that Neptune might be seen, and accordingly at ten I 

 started for the observatory, in company with Leverrier 

 and Adams. Fancy the interest of seeing the new plan -t 

 for the first time in company with its t\vo discoverers! 

 Of course there could be no going to bed without seeing 

 it, and accordingly, as it rose late, I did not get back to 

 my college till very nearly two in the morning. I was 

 up at seven punctually, as the coach was to start at 

 eight o'clock, and my parking was not near done. I 

 arrived here at three o'clock, and found all well. After 

 such a day's work as I have described, you will believe 

 that the tranquillity of this place is a most agreeable 

 variety, though I ow r n that I have enjoyed a most 

 delightful treat at Oxford in my intercourse with so 

 eminent men/ 



On his return from Oxford, Easter-Tyre in the Strath 

 of Tay became his residence for the summer of 1847. 1 1 is 

 journal tells of days spent pleasantly reading Agassiz, 

 and Clarke's Travels; studying Airy's Lunar and Plane- 

 tary theories ; writing on the geology of Vesuvius ; 

 making excursions in the neighbourhood, and ascending 

 Schihallion. 



Autumn brings him visitors from abroad, M. Studer 

 and M. Schintz. With these he undertook an extensive 

 tour through the Highlands, during which they vis 

 Ben Nevis, the parallel roads in Glen Koy, Staffa, lona, 

 and Arran. These names are suggestive of geology, and 

 accordingly we find him next spring writing geological 

 notes on Ben Nevis, no doubt from observations ina<le 



