378 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



and if you begin afresh with fresh companions from 

 England, I must say that you run some risk of knocking 

 up, without great self-denial. For Iby sake and the sake 

 of your survey, pray do not risk your health nor your 

 life on the Matterhorn.' 



To A. WILLS, ESQ. 



' I think the new series of " Peaks, Passes, and 

 Glaciers," an improvement on the first. The light 

 thrown on Alpine topography is very material indeed ; 

 the classification is much improved, and the illustrations 

 leave little to be desired. The frontispiece of Bernina is 

 a glorious rendering of an Alpine scene. 



* I regret to see Balrnat's name never alluded to in 

 these volumes. Do you think him really too old now 

 for heavy work ? No doubt the Alpine clubbists are 

 enormous walkers, and it would try any one above 

 thirty-five to keep up with them. Indeed they don't 

 agree with it themselves, as is plain enough from their 

 own admissions. There is no doubt they would enjoy 

 more, and learn more, by doing half as much in the 

 same time. Yet for all this, I hope Auguste will not 

 sink down yet into a mere lady's man : he would still be 

 invaluable to any man with ever so slight a tincture of 

 science, such as would prevent him from scampering 

 from col to peak with an almost insane restlessness. I 

 know the feeling myself, but I always struggled against 

 it. Have you ever any longings yourself for an " ascen- 

 sion " now that your health is restored ? ' 



These letters will suffice to show Forbes' interest in 

 the Alpine Club and its objects. From this short Alpine 

 digression we now return to the regular sequence of his 

 correspondence. 



To DR. SYMONDS. 



'EDINBURGH, January 2tk, 1858. 



' . . .At times my electricity takes a good deal out of 

 me, and, to own the truth, I have had a physical mathe- 

 matical speculation connected with the temperature of the 



