268 The Natiiralist of Cumbrae. 



that ever had. I believed that there must be some 

 mistake somewhere, and that one who had made a 

 good collection of shells would most likely be known 

 to the professors of the college. I inquired at * my 

 young man if he knew the address of any of them 

 that lived in the town. He said that Professor 

 Wyville Thomson was often in a stationer's shop 

 hard by. I hurried to the place and inquired at the 

 stationer if Professor W. Thomson was likely to be 

 with him about this time. He pointed to a gentle- 

 man at the other end of the counter, and said, * There 

 he is.' 



" I explained to him what I wanted, and the wild 

 goose chase that I had had. 



" He said, * I know the party well that you want, a 

 Mr. Stewart, not a saddler, but a leather trunk maker. 

 I will take you to him.' " 



Accordingly, he found his Mr. Stewart, saw the 

 collection of shells, and pleasantly made acquaintance 

 with the eminent professor, who took him to his house,. 

 Strand-town, a little way out of Belfast, to show 

 him some of his own natural history work, the work 

 which was marking him out and qualifying him to be 

 soon after the scientific leader of the well-known 

 Challenger expedition. 



* See page 250. 



