8 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



the Governor on the street the next day, the boy saluted 

 him in the most abject possible manner. The Governor 

 complained again, whereupon the elder Agassiz, much 

 incensed, gave his son a sound thrashing, for the father 

 was a great admirer of the King, who, at the suggestion 

 of Humboldt, had assisted him in many ways. Not con- 

 tent with this, the Governor singled out his diminutive 

 adversary at a school celebration and held him up for 

 reproof before a large audience. 



When it was Alexander's turn to receive his prizes 

 from the Governor, he was so angry that he refused 

 them with scorn, turned his back on the representative 

 of the King, and, to the delight of the Reds, walked 

 out of the room. This led to further difficulties at home. 



Infuriated at the Governor's treatment, this youthful 

 patriot collected a band of confederates of his own age, 

 stormed the castle on the night of a large dinner party 

 at which his father was present, and smashed all the 

 windows of the state dining-hall. Louis Agassiz, suspect- 

 ing the instigator of this outrage, rushed home, but 

 found his son safely in bed and apparently asleep. Com- 

 menting on this episode in after years, Alexander Agassiz 

 remarked that it was perhaps fortunate he emigrated to 

 the United States at an early age, as with his views he 

 would surely in due time have been hung or shot. 



The salary of Louis Agassiz was entirely insufficient 

 to support his family and publish his scientific works. 

 By 1846 he had exhausted the resources of his relatives, 

 friends, and, indeed, the entire little community of Neu- 

 chatel, who came generously to his assistance. He gladly, 

 therefore, accepted a subsidy from the Prussian Crown, 

 obtained through the influence of Humboldt, to make a 

 scientific exploration in the United States. 



