103 MEMOIR OF DR. EAR VEY. 



CHAPTER V. 



LEAVE OF ABSENCE. 



On landing in England, Mr. Harvey, before crossing to Ireland, 

 proceeded to Torquay, for the pleasure of becoming personally 

 acquainted with his valued friend Mrs. Griffiths, with whom he 

 had familiarly corresponded for so many years. He gives the 

 following account of this visit in a letter to one of his cousins : — 



Cork, July 17th, 1839. 



Enclosed are seeds of Vicia sylvatica, and of a pretty white 

 cistus, both from Torquay ; also of Matthiola, ] which grows on the 

 northern shore of Devon. The Vicia was in superlative flower 



upon a cliff, at an exquisite little cove to which the Misses G . 



introduced me. We had many pleasant walks over the hills and 

 by the sea-cliffs and coves. The distant prospects of sea and 

 country are pretty ; but, on the whole, Torquay is not that gem 

 of beauty which I had pictured it. It is too much built — too 

 fashionable. Babbicombe is really a charming little nook, but 

 it begins to have too many houses, and is on the road to become 

 vulgar. 



Mrs. G very much like what I expected, only in better 



health, more active in mind, and younger looking : very kind. 

 She wanted me to spend a month with her. Her two daughters 

 pleasant and botanical. We had bad weather for Algse, and in 

 them did little : I have, however, a large package of puzzles — 

 Do you envy me ? 



1 The native stock gillyflower. 



