1837-3S LETTER FROM LANCASTER 115 



entered into the researches of younger men in the 

 following passage : ' We were soon joined by 



Edward Mason The poor lad hobbled 



up to us on the parade with great glee. He was 

 anxious to have my opinion whether the pink and 

 the smelt were both the same fish, as Colonel 

 Parker and Sergeant Bond both maintained — the 

 pink being the salmon of the first year, the smelt 

 of the second. Now, Edward had caught a pink 

 with roe in it, and he believes it to be the parr of 

 Yarrell (see that fish in my copy). Edward is to 

 catch specimens of each, and we shall have a 

 glorious evening at the Lancaster Branch of the 

 Grand Junction Philosophical Society of Natural 

 History. If we don't beat the military men, or 

 if we leave them a single leg to stand on, poor 

 Edward's crutches will have wheeled most ener- 

 getically to the Crook of Lune for nothing.' 



Owen refers in the same letter to his connec- 

 tion with the Honourable Artillery Company, for 

 he tells his wife to ' let Mr. Cooper have my cap 

 for a pattern. He will also ask for my coat, 

 which please to let him have for his tailor.' 



On the 29th he writes to his wife in answer to 

 a letter from her announcing an interesting addi- 

 tion which was shortly to occur in their household. 

 In this letter he refers thus to his mother : — 



' My dear mother too I have evidently seen 

 for the last time that she could derive pleasure 

 from my visit. Her mind, though shaken, is still 



