EARLY STRUGGLES 43 



But all this did not mitigate the pressure of his daily 

 routine work ; and the concession which Bose most needed 

 for research was some relaxation from the excessive hours 

 of teaching above mentioned. It had been a great disap- 

 pointment that, after recognising the value of his services, 

 the new appointment that was contemplated should be 

 withdrawn because he could not always obediently follow 

 the particular views of his official superior in regard to 

 affairs of the University. He had passed through years 

 of severe overwork and strain, and the hostile attitude of 

 the Department had chilled the freshness and spontaneity 

 needed for all initiative work. He therefore waited on the 

 Lieutenant-Governor, and preferred a request that he should 

 be allowed the year's furlough which was his due, to enable 

 him to visit Europe and come in touch with other scientific 

 men and their work. The Lieutenant-Governor, who, as we 

 have seen, entertained a personal regard for Bose, was fully 

 sympathetic ; but knowing the slenderness of his means, 

 asked if it was not injudicious for him to venture on a 

 costly foreign visit, even though conducive to his scientific 

 work. Bose, with sudden impulse, inquired whether, in 

 these circumstances, the Government could not send him 

 to England on a scientific 'deputation/ The Governor 

 answered that the Imperial Government would never 

 sanction a deputation on a matter which was merely 

 educational. The Education Board at Simla had lately 

 issued a resolution expressing regret that India had never 

 taken to scientific pursuits, in spite of the efforts of the 

 Government, and Bose had naturally felt the injustice of 

 this ignoring of the scientific work he had been carrying 

 on at the Presidency College, which had had such wide 

 publicity in India since its appreciation in Europe. He 

 could not help expressing his bitter disappointment at 

 the contrast between such professions of desire for scientific 

 study and research by Indians and the real apathy of the 

 Education Board. The Lieutenant-Governor seemed irri- 

 tated by such plain speaking, and turned the conversation ; 



