140 Dr. Akin' s further Statements concerning 



with great eagerness, he proposed to me that we should jointly 

 work out the subject to which our correspondence had referred. 

 With this proposal, for which Professor TyndalPs letter had 

 already prepared me, I closed with an alacrity equal to that with 

 which it had been advanced, reserving only one point. I 

 mentioned that, in consequence of the action taken by the Bri- 

 tish Association, I felt bound to proceed with the experiments 

 on sunlight at Oxford, for which the apparatus had already been 

 constructed, and for making which London was scarcely a fit 

 place; so that the experiments to be made by Prof. Tyndall and 

 myself at London were to be restricted to artificial radiant sources. 

 To this condition Prof. Tyndall cheerfully agreed, observing that 

 he had from the first intended to make experiments only on the 

 electric light ; that be was consequently quite satisfied with the 

 arrangement proposed ; and that he had anticipated that there 

 would be no difficulty between us to come to terms. After some 

 more conversation, and on rising to leave, I adverted to "definite 

 arrangements " to be made for the execution of our agreement. 

 Prof. Tyndall then stated that he was just preparing for his lec- 

 tures at the School of Mines, which would take him from tour 

 to six weeks ; that he found it difficult to give his mind to more 

 than one subject at a time ; and that as soon as he had set 

 up any apparatus, he would write to me that I might come 

 up to town from Oxford, he being sure not to make any experi- 

 ments in my absence. On this understanding I left the Royal 

 Institution, and soon after returned to Oxford. Several weeks 

 had elapsed without my having heard from Prof. Tyndall. 

 Having then occasion to write to him on another matter, I got 

 an answer from him, in which occur these words : — " I have not 

 been able to think of your subject/'' Some three weeks after 

 that I received another short note from Prof. Tyndall, in answer 

 to one of my own, stating that he had been too unwell for some 

 time to write to me. 



From that time further till October last year, I had no news 

 from Prof. Tyndall. In the first days of that month, however, 

 I returned to town for the winter, and I again called at the Royal 

 Institution. Prof. Tyndall then told me that he had set up 

 some apparatus in the summer (two mirrors, I believe), but that 

 he had obtained no results. In answer to his questions, I stated 

 to Prof. Tyndall that it was not likely that I should continue 

 the experiments begun at Oxford ; and I also referred, as far as 

 I properly could, to the understanding that subsisted between 

 us. Prof. Tyndall, in reply, remarked that he did not intend 

 to take up the subject just then, but that I might rest assured 

 that he " would do nothing " without me. A fortnight after 

 that I had occasion to again call on Prof. Tyndall, when he 



