Ug LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, viil 



On July 20, this temporary work, which he had under- 

 taken as the friend of Forbes, was exchanged for one of the 

 permanent lectureships formerly held by the latter. A hun- 

 dred a year for twenty-six lectures was not affluence; it 

 would have suited him better to have had twice the work 

 and twice the pay. But it was his crossing of the Rubicon, 

 and, strangely enough, no sooner had he gained this success 



than it was doubled. 



July 30, 1854. 

 I was appointed yesterday to a post of £200 a year. It has 

 all come about in the strangest way. I told you how my friend 

 Forbes had been suddenly called away to Edinburgh, and that 

 I had suddenly taken his duties — sharp work it has been I can 

 tell you these summer months, but it is over and done satisfac- 

 torily. Forbes got £500 a year, £200 for a double lectureship, 

 £300 for another office. I took one of the lectureships, which 

 would have given me £100 a year only, and another man was to 

 have the second lectureship and the other office in question. It 

 was so completely settled a week ago that I had written to the 

 President of the Board of Trade who makes the appointment, ac- 

 cepting mine, and the other man had done the same. Happily for 

 me, however, my new colleague was suddenly afflicted with a 

 sort of moral colic, an absurd idea that he could not perform 

 the duties of his office, and resigned it. The result is that a 

 new man has been appointed to the office he left vacant, while 

 the lectureship was offered to me. Of course I took it, and so 

 in the course of the week I have seen my paid income doubled. 

 ... So after a short interval I have become a Government 

 officer again, but in rather a different position I flatter my- 

 self. I am chief of my own department, and my position is con- 

 sidered a very good one — as good as anything of its kind in 

 London. 



Furthermore, on August 1 1 he was " entrusted with 

 the Coast Survey investigations under the Geological Sur- 

 vey, and remunerated by fee until March 31, 1855, when he 

 was ranked as Naturalist on the Survey with an additional 

 salary of £200, afterwards increased to £400, rising to £600 

 per annum," as the official statement has it. 



Then in quick succession he was ofifered in August a 

 lectureship on Comparative Anatomy at St. Thomas' Hos- 

 pital for the following May and June, and in September he 



