144 SIB HUMPHREY DAVY. 



ished by the blood of her son, shall flourish, and 

 grow out of Paradise, and overspread the earth : 

 man shall eat of their fruit, and be immortal and 

 happy." 



All through these early note-books are scattered 

 his poems, showing a passion for the blue sea at 

 Penzance, and an unbounded love of nature. 



Just as he was entering his nineteenth year, 

 young Davy began the study of chemistry, as a 

 branch of his profession. He read "Lavoisier's 

 Elements of Chemistry," and" "Nicholson's Dic- 

 tionary of Chemistry." Suddenly a new world 

 seemed to open before him. He began to think 

 for himself, and to make experiments. As his 

 means were limited, his apparatus consisted of 

 vials, wine-glasses, tea-cups, tobacco-pipes, and 

 earthen crucibles. 



His first experiments were the effects of acids 

 and alkalies on vegetable colors, the kind of air 

 in the vesicles of common seaweed, and the solu- 

 tion and precipitation of metals. These were 

 made in his bedroom in Mr. Tonkin's house, or in 

 the kitchen, when he required fire. This old 

 gentleman had brought up his mother and her 

 two orphan sisters, and now was like a father to 

 Humphrey. He said, "This boy, Humphrey, is 

 incorrigible. Was there ever so idle a dog ! He 

 will blow us all into the air." He was at this time 

 probably making a detonating composition, which 

 he called "thunder power," his sister Kitty being 

 his assistant. 



