





B.] FORBES, GUYOT, AND AGASSI Z. 553 



failed to convince me of the constancy of his alleged facts, or 

 the cogency of his reasons. We parted at Xeufchutel with even 

 more cordiality (at least on my part), than we had met at the 

 Grimsel ; and my letters written afterwards testify that I freely 

 acknowledged my obligations. Accordingly, in vindicating the 

 originality of my observation, I resolved to take the plan which 

 seemed to me most likely to secure a continuance of a friend- 

 ship I so much valued. Were I to write to complain directly 

 of want of justice on his part, though I did not doubt his 

 willingness to correct his error, I felt that it would place him 

 in a somewhat painful position, after so direct an assertion of 

 his own rights. I preferred a different, and, I think, a natural 

 course. Knowing well the facts stated in the commencement 

 of this paper, and feeling that M. Agassiz must be equally awaiv 

 of their truth, I resolved to make no reclamation, and especially 

 to testify in my letters no irritation at the part which he had 



n ; but simply in a short and matter-of-fact communication 

 to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which I lost no time in 

 transmitting to him, to state my own version of the affair, and 

 claim my discovery without the slightest allusion to its having 

 been erroneously claimed elsewhere. This was the origin of 

 the paper which, at Professor Jameson's request, was com- 

 municated afterwards to his Journal ; and anyone who looks 

 at it in this view, will, I think, admit that it was well calculated 

 to answer the end proposed. It has not a trace . of a con- 



Tsial character, but I well knew that when it should meet 

 M. Agassiz' eye, it would be understood as an intimation that 



n he should next publish, I expected niy claims to original 

 observation to be more carefully regarded, though, in considera- 

 tion of our friendship, and of the informal character of the 

 communication to M. de Humboldt, I was both willing and 

 happy to dispense with any apology. 



At the same time that I communicated my paper to M. 

 Agassiz, I sent it to Mr. Heath, the only other party to the 

 ion of the ith August referring to the letter to Hum- 

 boldt as the cause of the publication, and requesting his friendly 

 08 to whether 1 had acted prudently in thus asserting 



'laim, and whether h- considered all that 1 had stated to be 

 To this l.-itn- I received the following reply, 

 Heath's kind permission. 



EXTRACT EIGHTH. From the Rev. J. M. lliih to ProfeMor Forbes. 



'Tr. 1842. 



*1 am very much obliged to you f.r the rxtntrt from the PhUou>) 

 Journal. I saw tin DM .l'iiri. :nl I most 



