CHAPTER IV 



LEHRJAURE AND WANDERJAHRE 



Part I. Medical Studies and the Flight to Constantinople 



Before Francis Galton started work at Birmingham, a delightful 

 trip for the sixteen year old boy was arranged in July, 1838. He 

 travelled across Europe with two young medical men. Bowman and 

 Russell, who were going on a tour combining pleasure of travel with 

 inspection of continental hospital practice. The link with Bowman is 

 pretty clear ; he was the son of John Eddowes Bowman, a naturalist 

 and banker of Wrexham. He had been a pupil of Joseph Hodgson and 

 then house-surgeon to the General Hospital, Birmingham; in the 

 previous year he had gone to London to study at King's College, and 

 he was later well known to fame as Sir William Bowman, the ophthalmic 

 surgeon. Of Russell the only knowledge I possess is that conveyed by 

 Galton himself in his long letters to his own father. 



Wediiesday Niyhl 25 of July, 1838 

 Old Hummums 

 My dear Govenor [sic] 



First of all the things that I send are those that are over and above 

 what I want; there is much grumbling about the size of my carpet bag. Now to my 

 history. I arrived at the Coventry Station house at about 9. Accordingly I looked 

 about Coventry till it was ^ past and returned and took my station on the steps; at 

 25 minutes to 10 the train came up — prominent out of one of the carriages was a pale 

 jaundicy face, to which face was attached a most indescribable proboscis across which 

 glittered a pair of spectacles. Before even the train stopt the mouth of the foresaid 

 face was engaged at bawling out the name of "Galton" in such a tone that the passengers 

 of the other carriages simultaneously popped their heads out of the windows expecting 

 some awful calamity. I accordingly, most awfully ashamed for the police officer had 

 taken up the hue and cry, and Galton was the burden of the song, elbowed my way to 

 where the yellow face was bawling, introduced myself, Russel's' eyes glistened through 



' The spelling varies of this name. 



