,x.] ALPINE TRAVELS, 1842. 275 



a second James Lindsay 1 in short an admirable assis- 

 tant. The weather, too, became delightful just as I 

 arrived here, and it is a real pleasure to work amidst 

 such scenes. Indeed, I have much to be grateful for ; 

 and many doubts which I had about bringing my plans 

 for the summer to bear, are in a great measure 

 solved. . . . 



' I spent this Sunday morning quietly at home until 

 noon, just strolling down to the edge of the glacier, where 

 I read the morning service basking in the sun. What 

 a cathedral ! with all the aiguilles for pinnacles, the 

 glacier for a pavement. " He giveth forth His ice like 

 morsels : who is able to abide His frost ? " . . .' 



The following details of the commencement of his 

 k are taken from his ' Travels through the Alps of 

 >y,' p. 129 : 



' I resolved to commence my experiments with the 

 very simple and obvious one of selecting some point on 

 the surface of the ice, and determining its position with 

 >ect to three fixed co-ordinates, having reference to 

 the fixed objects around. . . One day, the 25th, was 

 devoted to a general reconnaissance of the Mer de Glace 

 throughout a good part of its length, with a view to 

 fixing permanent stations ; and the next I proceeded to 

 that part of the glacier which lies opposite to the rocky 

 promontory on its western side, called 1'Angle. The 



> James Lindsay, here alluded to, fulfilled the duties of mechanical 

 assistant to the Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Edinburgh 

 y for more than half a century, and has recently (1S7'J) 

 m his post He was then in his 73rd year, still hale and 

 vigorous, and made a most admirable reply, on the presentation to him 

 valuable ;al, by the students of the das* H<> was in 



-ervice of Sir .lohn L slie from ISH, until Sir .John was trans- 

 io chair of Math.-matics to that of Natural Philosophy, 

 <e that time he was mechanical assistant un<l< r I 

 urteen years, Forbes for twenty-seven years, and Tait for tv 

 years. He had acquired wonderful dexterity in many diilicult 

 perini' ntal processes; and was, amongst other things, a most skilful 

 glass-blower. He constructed with his own hands alm<t all < 

 John Leslie's original thermometrical and photomctrical apparatus. 



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