TraiiKitlon Studies \ \ 



Galton himself says' of the Vacation Tourists, that excitiion waa often 

 fan unwelcome duty, and illustmtes it by the statement that amonjf the 

 ontribiitions offered for one vohime were thirteen 8et)anite df- *' f 



ea-sickness! Yet the volumes have something of the chunn of It i 

 'ictorian journalism ; and should not be allowe<l to pass into complete oblivion. 

 In 18(;4 Galton wrote for John Murray a knapsack guide for Switzerland', 

 which just deserves mention under the heading of travel. It reached a .s<-c.)ii.| 

 edition, the one I have e.xamined. The late Mr John Murray paid Galton 

 £150 for the copyright. It was one of a series of four (Switzerland, Italy, 

 Norway and Tyrol) which have since passed out of sight. The general plan 

 is very much what we now associate with Baedeker, and the hints Jis to 

 hotels and the character of landlords were more or less original in those days. 

 Galton's name is not associated with the work and there is little to identity 

 it with his personality. He does not mention it in the Memories, it is 

 omitted in lists of his Ixjoks and memoirs, and the present writer n- • ' 

 heard him refer to it. It is neverthele.ss a substantial piece of work. 11 ^ 

 and when did Galton obtain his knowledge of Switzerland? The answer n>ay 

 be found in the brief yearly records of "Frank's Life" and "Louisji's Life" 

 on opposite pages from 1830 to 1853, and then carried on in common by 

 Mrs Galton until her death in 1897, which year is written by Francis 

 Galton himself. From this Record' we find that not only was a considerable 

 portion of the wedding tour devoted to Switzerland (1853), but in 185() the 

 Galtons were in Switzerland and the Tyrol. In 1857, 1861, 1862 both were 

 again in Switzerland, and in 1863, Fi-ancis Galton, probably to complete the 

 knapsack guide, was alone in Switzerland. Thus his experience was fairly 

 ample for a guide which was intended not for the high-peak climber, but for 

 the 'Thalbumnder,' or for the tourist in the broader .sen.se. 



The autunni travel often extended to two or three months, and the visits to 

 Mrs Galton's family at Gayton or Julian Hill, or to Francis Galton's relatives 

 at Leamington, Claverdon or Hadzor were a constant feature of the Galtons' 

 life ; they consumed much time, but had no doubt compensating advantages 

 especially as the health of both was at times indiff'erent. Beyond these 

 travels and visits social life is often referred to, and the names of the Ilu.ssell 

 Gurneys, the (Jassiots, the Norths and of Spottiswoode begin to apjHiar in 

 the diary. After their return to England in 1853, the Galtons had occupied 

 lodgings in Portugal Street; then they lived at 55 Victoria Street, West- 

 minster, and finally in 1857 they took possession of the house in Rutland 

 Gate, which remained Galton's home till his death in 1911, and is the 

 environment with which most of his surviving friends will chiefly associate 

 him. The light and airy, white enamelled drawing-room, with its furniture 

 of many periods and styles; the long dining-room with its lx>okcase at the 

 back, Galton's working table* in the front window, and on the walls the prints 



' Afemories, p. 187. 



" The Knapmck Guide /or Travellers in Switzerland. New edition revised, 1867. "Fnmk 

 l)usy editing Murray's Handbook." L. G.'a Record, 1864. 

 ■' [ii future to Ix! cited as L. O.'s Record. 

 * Now in tlie Galtoniana of the Galton Laboratory with his writing chair. 



