224 Prof. Tyndall on the History of Calorescence. 



Akin's memory regarding them. But I do remember his proposal 

 to work with me in London and with Mr. Griffith at Oxford, 

 and it caused me to pause. Neither in its tone nor in its terms 

 did it please me, and to it, by neither word nor sign, did I ever 

 show the slightest symptom of assent. 



In his last published account of this conversation Dr. Akin 

 omits all reference to my proposal and his refusal of a " triple 

 alliance," and represents me as accepting his counterproposition 

 without reservation or qualification. " To this conclusion Profes- 

 sor Tyndall cheerfully agreed, observing that he had from the first 

 intended to make experiments on the electric light ; that he was 

 consequently quite satisfied with the arrangement proposed." 

 Though there seems now no shade of doubt upon Dr. Akin's mind 

 regarding my acceptance of his offer, still I think there was a slight 

 shade upon it four months ago. In a letter written to me on the 

 1st of last November, after reminding me of his offer to cooperate 

 with me in London, leaving the sun to himself and Mr. Griffith 

 at Oxford, he continues thus : — " If there was no ' closing ' with 

 any offer, it must have been on your part, and as regards this 

 last-mentioned offer, which I made in answer to your own"*. 

 This passage, I submit, indicates a condition of mind and 

 memory somewhat different from that which prompted the 

 unqualified assertion "to this condition Professor Tyndall 

 cheerfully agreed." 



When I wrote to Dr. Akin from the Isle of Wight, my desire 

 and intention was to allow him ample scope for the realiza- 

 tion of his ideas, and during our conference this intention was 



* Here is the extract in extenso : it is taken from Dr. Akin's second 

 letter to me, the word " closing " being placed between inverted commas, 

 because in my reply to Dr. Akin's first letter I had reminded him that he 

 had not "closed" with my proposal: — 



" Dear Sir, — I have just received your letter of today, and intend to 

 shortly reply to such portions as seem to me to require it. 



"As regards the way in which your attention was turned to the subject 

 which is in question, of course you are the best as well as the only autho- 

 rity, and I have no intention of challenging any statement on your part, 

 deliberately made, and where there are no facts within my knowledge pro- 

 ving that your recollection misleads you. Such, however, I believe to be 

 the case in reference to what occurred at the Royal Institution in April, in 

 the course of our conversation. You then spoke of a 'triple alliance' a 

 (those were the words you used). I replied, ' Leave the sun to us at 

 Oxford,' but added that, as regarded experiments on artificial sources of 

 rays (the expressions, I believe, were ' the other two experiments,' meaning 

 those described in my paper), I should be happy to cooperate with you se- 

 parately. If there was ' no closing ' with any offer, it must have been on 

 your part, and as regards this last-mentioned offer, which I made in answer 

 to your own." 



" a That was after I had said that I was bound to Mr. Griffith." 



