TUITION. 13 



When my sister and I outgrew the tuition of 

 grandmother Deichmann - - nee vori Scheiter, as she 

 never forgot to sign herself my father himself 



undertook our instruction for half a year. The outline 

 of universal history arid ethnography, which he dictated 

 to us. was spirited and original, and formed the foun- 

 dation of my later knowledge. When I had reached 

 the age of eleven my sister was sent to a boarding- 

 school at Ratzeburg, whilst I attended the grammar- 

 school of the neighbouring market -town Schonberg 

 from Menzendorf. In fine weather I had to do the 

 something like three miles distance on foot. In wet 

 weather the footways were impassable, and I rode to 

 school on a pony. This, and my habit of always 

 being a match for practical jokes, soon led to chronic 

 war with the town -scholars, through whose midst 

 I had generally to force a way, lance, i. e. bean-stick, 

 in rest. This tourney, in which the farmer lads of 

 my village sometimes assisted me, continued a w r hole 

 year. It certainly contributed a good deal to call 

 forth my active powers, yielded however only very 

 indifferent scientific results. 



A decided turning-point of my life occurred at 

 Easter 1828, when my father engaged a private tutor. 

 The choice was an exceedingly fortunate one. Spon- 

 holz. candidate of theology, was still a young man. He 

 was highly cultured, but in bad odour with his spiritual 

 superiors, his theology being too rationalistic, too little 

 positive, as one would say now^-a-days. Over us semi- 

 savage youths he contrived, even in the first weeks, 



