BOSTON TO WASHINGTON 109 



and game, a dozen sorts of pastry, a dozen of vegetables, 

 besides ices, and whatever fruits are in season. You can 

 order anything you like in any combination, and they are 

 brought in little dishes, which are arranged around your plate. 

 Everything is good and admirably cooked. The pies and 

 puddings are equally good. At breakfast and supper there 

 is about half the number of dishes." 



During the whole time I was in America I had a wonderful 

 appetite, and ate much more than I did at home, and enjoyed 

 excellent health. I imputed this at the time to the more bracing 

 air, the novelty, and the excitement. But from subsequent 

 events I am inclined to think that I really did not eat enough 

 nourishing food at home, although I had what I liked best, 

 and seemed to eat plenty of it. 



At my first lecture on " The Darwinian Theory," I had a 

 crowded and very attentive audience, and the newspaper notices 

 the next morning showed that it was a success. One of the 

 shortest and best of these was in The Transcript, and was as 

 follows : — 



" The first Darwinian, Wallace, did not leave a leg for anti- 

 Darwinism to stand on when he had got through his first 

 Lowell lecture last evening. It was a masterpiece of con- 

 densed statement — as clear and simple as compact — a most 

 beautiful specimen of scientific work. Mr. Wallace, though 

 not an orator, is likely to become a favourite as a lecturer, 

 his manner is so genuinely modest and straightforward." 



During the time my lectures were going on I occupied 

 myself at the museums, libraries, and institutions of Boston, 

 and paid a few visits in the country. I soon made the 

 acquaintance of Dr. Asa Gray, the first American botanist, 

 General Walker, the political economist, Messrs. Hyatt, Scud- 

 der, Morse, and other biologists ; while Mr. Houghton, the 

 publisher, who was very polite, asked me to call at his office 

 to read whatever I liked, and invited me to dinner to meet 

 Oliver Wendell Holmes. I met the Autocrat of the Breakfast 

 Table several times afterwards, and once called at his house 

 and had a two hours' private conversation. He was very inter- 

 esting from his constant flow of easy conversation; but when 



