LATER YEARS 187 



to see the oil-boring of the Algerian Oil Company. . . . The 

 country is curious ; low hills mostly cultivated by Arabs ; wheat 

 and vines. The water-courses wash away vegetation, so the 

 nullahs, I suppose one would call them, are muddy, but bright 

 with flowers. Very little green. The Arabs and the French 

 appear to hit it off perfectly. ... I was surprised to find Algiers 

 so French. Outside the actual Arab quarters it might be out- 

 skirts of Paris. Then we went to Marseilles and on to Paris, 

 where we spent ten days. Every day we lunched or dined out ; 

 it was very pleasant, but we had quite enough of it at the end." 



The address at Portsmouth was naturally taken up 

 to a large extent with an exposition of current views as 

 to the nature of the chemical elements and the possi- 

 bility of transmutation. The latter part of the dis- 

 course, however, consisted of a vigorous and convincing 

 remonstrance against the national waste of energy in 

 the extravagant use of coal. 



At the end of the summer session of 1912 at University 

 College Ramsay retired from the professorship. He was 

 still in search of a suitable house in the country, and it 

 was not till October in the following year that he could 

 announce to his friend Fyfe the purchase of the house 

 at Hazlemere, two miles from High Wycombe. As 

 borne alterations were necessary, a lodge and garage to 

 be built and the conversion of the stables into a labora- 

 tory, it was not expected that the place would be ready 

 for occupation before January. As a matter of fact it 

 was much later. 



On his retirement a portrait, painted by Mr. Mark 

 Milbanke, was presented to University College by the 



