i8Si WORK AS FISHERY INSPECTOR 



2 9 



child, now grown into an accomplished woman, who, when she 

 was told that Professor Huxley had no hope of future rewards, 

 and no fear of future punishments, emphatically declared : 

 " Then I think Professor Huxley is the best man I have ever 

 known." 



Extracts from his letters home give some further idea of 

 the kind of work entailed. Thus in March and again in May 

 he was in Wales, and writes : — 



Cromffyratellionptrroch, May 24. 



Mr. Barrington's very pretty place about five miles from 

 Abergavenny, wherein I write, may or may not have the name 

 which I have written on at the top of the page, as it is Welsh ; 

 however it is probably that or something like it. I forgot to 

 enquire. 



We are having the loveliest weather, and yesterday went 

 looking up weirs with more or less absurd passes up a charming 

 valley not far hence. It is just seven o'clock, and we are going 

 to breakfast and start at eight to fit in with the tides of the 

 Severn. It is not exactly clear where we shall be to-night. . . . 

 Now I must go to breakfast, for I got up at six. Figurez 

 vous ca. 



May 29 — Hereford. — We are favoured by the weather again, 

 though it is bitter cold under the bright sunshine. We stopped 

 at Worcester yesterday, and I went to examine some weirs hard 

 by. This involved three or four miles' country walking, and 

 was all to the good. If the Inspector business were all of this 

 sort it would be all that fancy painted it. We shall have a long 

 sitting to-day. . . . [He fears to be detained into the night by 

 " over-fluent witnesses."] 



In April he spent several days at Norwich, in connection 

 with the National Fishery Exhibition held there. 



April 19. — We had a gala day yesterday. . . . The exhi- 

 bition of all manner of fish and fishing apparatus was ready, for 

 a wonder, and looked very well. The Prince and Princess 

 arrived, and we had the usual address and reply and march 

 through. Afterwards a mighty dejeuner in the St. Andrew's 

 Hall — a fine old place looking its best. I was just opposite the 

 Princess, and I could not help looking at her with wonderment. 

 She looked so fresh and girlish. She came and talked to me 

 afterwards in a very pleasant simple way. 



