CHAP. VI.] SCHOLAR OF TRINITY. 195 



Penicuik, 30th December /53. 



You will need to get muffetees for the Senate-Eoom. 

 Take your plaid or rug to wrap round your feet and legs. 



To Miss CAY. 



Trin. Coll., 13th January 1854. 



All my correspondents have been writing to me, which 

 is kind, and have not been writing questions, which is 

 kinder. So I answer you now, while I am slacking speed 

 to get up steam, leaving Lewis and Stewart, etc., till 

 next week, when I will give an account of the five days. 

 There are a good many up here at present, and we get on 

 very jolly on the whole, but some are not well, and some are 

 going to be plucked or gulphed, as the case may be, and others 

 are reading so hard that they are invisible. I go to-morrow 

 to breakfast with shaky men, and after food I am to go and 

 hear the list read out, and whether they are through, and 

 bring them word. When the honour list comes out the 

 poll -men act as messengers. Bob Campbell comes in 

 occasionally of an evening now, to discuss matters and vary 

 sports. During examination I have had men at night 

 working with gutta-percha, magnets, etc. It is much better 

 than reading novels or talking after 5-J- hours' hard writing. 



Hunter is up here all the vacation. Do you know 

 anything of him in Edinburgh ? His father, who is dead, 

 or his uncle, were known in Edinburgh, but I am not 

 up in that subject. The present man is a freshman at 

 Queen's, and is a thundering mathematician, is well in- 

 formed on political, literary, and speculative subjects, and 

 is withal a jolly sort of fellow with some human nature at 

 the bottom, and lots of good humour all through. He does 

 not talk much, and when he does it is broad Scotch and to 

 the purpose. I hope to see more of him next term. Old 

 Charlie Eobertson is in better case I think than usual, and 

 rejoices in the good opinion of several men whose opinion 

 is most worth having. He has become better known and 

 better estimated of late, especially since Sandy 1 came up. 



1 Alexander Robertson, Esq., now Sheriff of Forfarshire. 



