CHAPTER VII 



1885 



On April 8, he landed at Folkestone, and stayed there 

 a day or two before going to London. Writing to Sir 

 J. Donnelly, he remarks with great satisfaction at getting 

 home : — - 



We got here this afternoon after a rather shady passage 

 from Boulogne, with a strong north wind in our teeth all the 

 way, and rain galore. For all that, it is the pleasantest journey 

 I have made for a long time — so pleasant to see one's own dear 

 native mud again. There is no foreign mud to come near it. 



And on the same day he sums up to Sir M. Foster the 

 amount of good he has gained from his expedition, and 

 the amount of good any patient is likely to get from 

 travel : — 



As for myself I have nothing very satisfactory to say. By 

 the oddest chance we met Andrew Clark in the boat, and he says 

 I am a very bad colour — which I take it is the outward and 

 visible sign of the inward and carnal state. I may sum that up 

 by saying that there is nothing the matter but weakness and in- 

 disposition to do anything, together with a perfect genius for 

 making mountains out of molehills. 



After two or three fine days at Venice, we have had nothing 

 but wet or cold — or hot and cold at the same time, as in that 

 prodigious imposture the Riviera. Of course it was the same 

 story everywhere, " perfectly unexampled season." 



Moral. — If you are perfectly well and strong, brave Italy — 

 but in search of health stop at home. 



It has been raining cats and dogs, and Folkestone is what 



in 



