288 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



way old mansion at Barnard Castle, in Durham. 

 Then there was no art, and therefore Murchison 

 became a sportsman, and for five years rode as 

 hard and as well to the front as any of his fox- 

 hunting friends. Every now and then some in- 

 tellectual society was enjoyed at some of the great 

 houses of the neighbourhood, and Murchison made 

 the acquaintance of Sir Humphrey Davy. Mrs. 

 Murchison did not care about the everlasting 

 hunting, and tried, in her wise manner, to wean 

 him from the purposeless life he was leading. She 

 knew botany, and tried to interest her husband in 

 it, but he did not care for it ; then she tried to 

 learn mineralogy to get him to help her. But 

 Murchison got deeper and deeper into the love of 

 field sports, and took a house at Melton Mowbray 

 and hunted six days in the week. Murchison got 

 tired at last, and having met Sir Humphrey Davy 

 again, was advised by him to interest himself about 

 chemistry. So Murchison sold his horses and gave 

 up his establishment, really intending to settle in 

 London. But probably want of means prevented 

 his having an establishment in the West End at 

 first, so he led a less active but still sporting life in 

 the south of Scotland for some time. 



Murchison was now to change his method of life 

 completely, and the summer of 1824 saw the last 

 of his rambles, wherever the rocks around him 

 made no direct and urgent appeal to him. Bring- 

 ing his wife to London, they rented a house in 

 Montague Place, and Murchison began to attend 



