CHAP. xvi. VISITS DICK AT THURSO. 253 



to pay a visit to Kobert Dick at Thurso. While he 

 resided in Cornwall, the name of Eobert Dick had been 

 a household word with him. He knew what he had done 

 from Hugh Miller's writings, and he had no doubt that 

 he would find Dick to be a man after his own heart. 

 Kor was he disappointed. When he first called at 

 Dick's shop in Wilson's Lane, on the 19th October 1853, 

 he found that the " maister," as his servant called him, 

 was in the bakehouse. The caller sent in his name, and 

 the baker speedily appeared in the front shop, his shirt 

 sleeves rolled up, and his arms covered with flour. 



" I'm Charles Peach of Ready Money Cove in Corn- 

 wall ; and you are Robert Dick of Pudding Goe." That 

 was Mr. Peach's first introduction. "How are ye?" 

 answered Robert Dick, with a firm grasp of the hand ; 

 " come into the bakehouse !" That was an honour 

 accorded to few, but in the case of a renowned geolo- 

 gist it was readily granted. Dick went on with his 

 work at the oven mouth, or at the side of the dough, 

 while the two talked together. It was an interesting 

 conversation, which Mr. Peach long remembered. The 

 latter observed on the wall of the bakehouse a full-sized 

 sketch of the Greek boy taking the thorn from his foot, 

 with an Egyptian god on each side, all accurately done 

 in pencil or charcoal by the Thurso baker. 



Mr. Peach called again in the evening, and again 

 found Dick at the oven in the bakehouse. After he had 

 done his evening's work, he had a fire lighted in his 

 parlour, and took his new friend upstairs to see his 

 collection. Mr. Peach was first attracted by the fine 

 12* 



