806 FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. [1887, 
Blachford with his friends Lord and Lady Blachford ; 
most interesting excursions followed over the downs, 
a day up the Tamar to Cothele; and he made other 
visits on the way back, one to his old Cambridge 
friend, Mrs. James, near Exeter, where he had an 
afternoon call at Killerton, Sir Thomas Acland’s, and 
saw the fine beeches, ete. ; returned to London, where 
there was much visiting before he went to Edinburgh 
for another degree. On the way to the north he 
visited the grounds of Welbeck, and saw the fine trees 
of Sherwood (Robin Hood’s) forest, — beeches, and 
grand, hoar old oaks. 
From Edinburgh Dr. Gray went through England 
to Normandy, meeting Sir Joseph Hooker and his party 
at Rouen; then came a delightful trip given to 
churches and cathedrals. 
He wrote: “ Bayeux and Coutances surprised us, 
they are so very good ; only Amiens and St. Ouen can 
compare with them in beauty, especially interior views. 
“ No two of all these Normandy churches are alike ; 
even those of essentially similar style differ both 
within and without so much that you would not wish 
to miss any one. Those old church builders were 
geniuses, and worked by inspiration.”’ 
He gave a day to Mont St. Michel, and then sepa- 
rating from the Hookers he went to Chartres, to see it 
again after thirty years, and by Rouen and Amiens 
returned to England; when came an interesting 
visit to Harpenden to Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert, viewing 
the famous experiments in agriculture at Rothamp- 
stead. And the seeing of cathedrals was closed by a 
most delightful and busy day at Canterbury with 
Canon and Mrs. Fremantle. 
At the end of August he went to Manchester to 
