CHAP. V.] OPENING MANHOOD 1847 TO 1850. 119 



because the machine when tried went a bit and stuck ; and 

 I did not find out the impediment till I had dreamt over it 

 properly, which I consider the best mode of resolving diffi- 

 culties of a particular kind, which may be found out by 

 thought, or especially by the laws of association. Thus, you 

 are going along the road with a key in your pocket. You 

 hear a clink behind you, but do not look round, thinking it 

 is nothing particular ; when you get home the key is gone ; 

 so you dream it all over, and though you have forgotten 

 everything else, you remember the look of the place, but do 

 not remember the locality (that is, as thus, " Near a large 

 thistle on the left side of the road " nowhere in particular, 

 but so that it can be 'found). Next day comes a woman 

 from the peats who has found the key in a corresponding 

 place. This is not " believing in dreams," for the dream 

 did not point out the place by the general locality, but by 

 the lie of the ground. 



Please to write and tell how Academy matters go, if 

 they are coming to a head. I am reading Herodotus, Euterpe, 

 having taken the turn ; that is to say, that sometimes I can 

 do props, read diff. and Int. Calc., Poisson, Hamilton's dis- 

 sertations, etc. Off, then I take back to experiments, history 

 of what you may call it, make up leeway in the newspapers, 

 read Herodotus, and draw the figures of the curves above. 



deary, 1 1 P.M. ! Hoping to see you before October. . . . 



1 defer till to-morrow. 



July 6. To-day I have set on to the coppering of the 

 jam pig which I polished yesterday. 



I have stuck in the wires better than ever, and it is 

 going on at a great rate, being a rainy day, and the skylight 

 shut and a smell of Hydrogen gas. I have left it for an 

 hour to read Poisson, as I am pleased with him to-day. 



