1873 TOUR IN THE AUVERGNE 423 



Le Puy offered a special attraction apart from scenery 

 and geology. In the museum was the skeleton of a pre- 

 historic man that had been found in the breccia of the 

 neighbourhood, associated with the remains of the rhinoce- 

 ros, elephant, and other extinct mammals. My father's 

 sketch-book contains drawings of these bones and of the 

 ravine where they were discovered, although in spite of 

 directions from M. Aymard, the curator, he could not find 

 the exact spot. Under the sketch is a description of the 

 remains, in which he notes, " The bones do not look fresher 

 than some of those of Elephas and Rhinoceros in the same 

 or adjacent cases." 



As for the final stage of the excursion : — 



After leaving the Ardeche (continues Sir J. Hooker), with 

 no Scrope to lead or follow, our scientific ardours collapsed. We 

 had vague views as to future travel. Whatever one proposed 

 was unhesitatingly acceded to by the other. A more happy-go- 

 lucky pair of idlers never joined company. 



As will be seen from the following letters, they made 

 their way to the Black Forest, where they stayed till Sir 

 Joseph's duties called him back to England, and my 

 mother came out -to join my father for the rest of his 

 holiday.* 



* You ask me (Sir Joseph adds) whether your father smoked on the 

 occasion of this tour. Yes, he did, cigars in moderation. But the 

 history of his addiction to tobacco that grew upon him later in life, 

 dates from an earlier excursion that we took together, and I was the 

 initiator of the practice. It happened in this wise -. he had been 

 suffering from what was supposed to be gastric irritation, and, being 

 otherwise "run down," we agreed to go, in company with Sir John 

 Lubbock, on a tour to visit the great monoliths of Brittany. This 

 was in 1867. On arriving at Dinan he suffered so much that I recom- 

 mended his trying a few cigarettes which I had with me. They acted 

 as a charm, and this led to cigars, and finally, about 1875 I think, to 

 the pipe. That he subsequently carried the use of tobacco to excess 

 is, I think, unquestionable. I repeatedly remonstrated with him, at 

 last I think (by backing his medical adviser) with effect. 



I have never blamed myself for the "teaching him " to smoke, for 

 the practice habitually palliated his distressing symptoms when noth- 

 ing else did, nor can his chronic illness be attributed to the abuse of 

 tobacco. 



28 



