322 HEROES OF SCIE^X•E. 



he possessed a more than ordinary share of self- 

 denial, and was very prudent, and after much 

 exercise did not eat a good dinner when set before 

 him — if, in short, he would take the advice which 

 many find it easy to give him, he would be well. 

 He has much talent for original observation in 

 geology, and is indefatigable, so that we make much 

 way, an 1 are thrown so much in the way of the 

 people, high and low, by means of our letters of 

 introduction, and our pursuits, that I am getting 

 large materials, which I hope I shall find means of 

 applying. Indeed, I really think I am most 

 profitably employed on this tour, and as long as 

 things go on as well as they do now, I should be 

 very sorry to leave off; particularly as, from our 

 plan of operation, which is that of comparison of 

 the structure of different parts of the country, we 

 work on with a continually increasing power, and 

 in the last week have with the same exertion done 

 at least twice as much in the way of discovery, and 

 in enlarging our knowledge of what others had 

 done, as in any preceding. I expect it will be at 

 least three weeks before we can have done with 

 Central France, and then we hope to work south 

 towards Nice, down the Rhone, keeping always in 

 analogous formations, and then to the Vicentin, if 

 possible, though this is very uncertain, as we can 

 never see far before us, either as to time or place, 

 directing our course according to the new lights we 

 are gaining. 



We shall leave this place in a day or two. I like 



