NEWFOUNDLAND. 71 



" in earnest. The Sirex gigas, which I had taken in 

 " 1829, was still lying on the sash of the parlour window ; 

 "with this I began my collection. On the 6th of June 

 " I took, on a currant bush in the garden, a very fine 

 "specimen of a very fine butterfly, the Camberwell 

 "Beauty {Vanessa A ntiopa), of which, strange to say, I 

 " never saw another example while I remained in the 

 " island. 



" Owing to the long continuance of the Arctic ice on 

 "the coast, the spring of 1832 was unprecedentedly late ; 

 "so that my collection had not gone beyond a few 

 " minute and inconspicuous insects, before I sailed for 

 " England. 



" The preface to my Entomological Journal, from which 

 " I gather the above particulars, ends with these pro- 

 "'phetic sentences: *I cannot conclude . . . without 

 " ' noticing the superintending Providence, that, without 

 " ' our forethought, often causes the most important 

 "'events of our life to originate in some trifling and 

 " ' apparently accidental circumstance — to be, like our 

 " * own huge globe, " hung upon nothing " ! After years 

 '"only can decide how much of that happiness which 

 " ' chequers my earthly existence may have depended 

 "'on the laying out of ten shillings at a book sale.' " 

 The arrival of the spring vessels from Poole had an- 

 nounced the serious illness of Philip's only sister, Elizabeth, 

 but he had not felt any special alarm, until in the begin- 

 ning of June news came that her life was in danger, and 

 that she wished to see her absent brothers once more. 

 Philip Gosse immediately took in the letter to Mr. Elson, 

 who, in the kindest manner, said that he should go home 

 by the next ship, which was to sail in a i^w weeks. It 

 had been distinctly stipulated that this privilege should 

 be given to the lad during his apprenticeship, and five out 



