722 FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. [1881, 
On returning to Kew, though the time until leaving 
late in October was busy with steady work, there were 
pleasant breaks with visits and excursions. He had 
the pleasure of meeting Dean Stanley, first at the’ 
christening of a daughter of Professor Flower’s, and 
was to have dined with him, but the dinner was _post- 
poned on account of a slight indisposition of the Dean, 
which developed into his fatal illness. 
There were many pleasant visits and excursions, 
some delightful stays in Devonshire and Somerset- 
shire, when pleasant acquaintances were renewed. He 
spent a few days again at Down with Mr. Darwin, 
and in August he went to York for the meeting of the 
British Association. He stayed with Mr. Backhouse, 
the well-known horticulturist, and saw his wonderful 
underground caves of ferns, and his successful alpine 
garden, and enjoyed the social as well as the scientific 
meetings. 
At Kew he was surrounded with friends, renewing 
the close intimacy with his old and lifelong friend 
Sir Joseph Hooker; was near his friends at the Dean- 
ery at St. Paul’s and at Broom House; and he 
rested now and then with a day’s sight-seeing. The 
days passed all too quickly until the time came for 
breaking up for the return to America. There was a 
short stay at Oxford, with Sir Henry Acland, most in- 
teresting days, and again at Manchester at Professor 
and Mrs. Williamson’s hospitable home, and then the 
i. to America, when he landed early in Novem- 
r. 
