722 FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. [1881, 



On returning to Kew, though the time until leaving 

 late in October was busy with steady work, there were 

 pleasant breaks with visits and excursions. He had 

 the pleasure of meeting Dean Stanley, first at the 

 christening of a daughter of Professor Flower's, and 

 was to have dined with him, but the dinner was post- 

 poned on account of a slight indisposition of the Dean, 

 which developed into his fatal iUness. 



There were many pleasant visits and excursions, 

 some delightful stays in Devonshire and Somerset- 

 shire, when pleasant acquaintances were renewed. He 

 spent a few days again at Down with Mr. Darwin, 

 and in August he went to York for the meeting of the 

 British Association. He stayed with Mr. Backhouse, 

 the well-known horticulturist, and saw his wonderful 

 underground caves of ferns, and his successfiil alpine 

 garden, and enjoyed the social as well as the scientific 

 meetings. 



At Kew he was surroxmded with friends, renewing 

 the close intimacy with his old and lifelong friend 

 Sir Joseph Hooker; was near his friends at the Dean- 

 ery ■ at St. Paul's and at Broom House ; and he 

 rested now and then with a day's sight-seeing. The 

 days passed all too quickly until the time came for 

 breaking up for the return to America. There was a 

 short stay at Oxford, with Sir Henry Acland, most in- 

 teresting days, and again at Manchester at Professor 

 and Mrs. Williamson's hospitable home, and then the 

 voyage to America, when he landed early in Novem- 

 ber. 



