1801. ^!T. 23.] PEOFESSOE DAVY. 325 



MY DEAR UNDERWOOD, That part of Almighty God 

 which resides in the rocks and woods, in the blue and 

 tranquil sea, in the clouds and sunbeams of the sky, is 

 calling upon thee with a loud voice ; religiously obey its 

 commands, and come and worship with me on the ancient 

 altars of Cornwall. 



I shall leave Bristol on Thursday next, possibly before ; 

 so that by this day week I shall probably be at Penzance. 

 Ten days or a fortnight after I shall expect to see yon, and 

 to rejoice with you. We will admire together the wonders 

 of God rocks and the sea, dead hills and living hills 

 covered with verdure. Amen. 



Write to me immediately, and say when yon will come. 

 Direct, H. Davy, Penzance. Farewell, being of energy. 

 Yours with unfeigned affection, 



H. DAVY. 



On November 14 he wrote to Davies Gilbert from 

 the Eoyal Institution : 



I didn't arrive in London until the 20th of September. 

 On my arrival I found that Count Rumford had altered 

 his plans of absence, and had left London on that very 

 day for the Continent, purposing to return in about two 

 months. He is now at Paris, and in about a fortnight we 

 expect him here. 



I yesterday ascertained rather an important fact ; namely, 

 that a galvanic battery may be constructed without any 

 metallic substance. By means of ten pieces of well-burnt 

 charcoal, nitrous acid, and water, arranged alternately in 

 wine-glasses, I produced all the effects usually obtained 

 from zinc, silver, and water. 



The Bakerian lecture ' by Dr. Young, our Lecturer on 

 Natural Philosophy, is now reading before the Royal 



1 This was the first memoir on the Theory of Light and Colours, 

 read Nov. 12, 1801. 



