1845 NAPLES 267 



zoologists and geologists at Milne-Edwards' to 

 dinner.' 



Sailing from Marseilles via Leghorn, where the 

 ship stayed long enough for him to pay a flying 

 visit to Pisa, and Civita Vecchia, they arrived at 

 Naples on September 15, 'taking in passengers 

 for the Congress 4 at each port ; we numbered at 

 last nearly 300.' 



Once settled at Naples he writes long letters to 

 his wife, the first of which is dated September 20, 

 1845: 'And now, my dear Caroline, that I find 

 myself in the cool quiet of my apartment after 

 the hurry and excitement of this first day of the 

 Congress, I hasten to the enjoyment of a deeper 

 pleasure than any that the events at Naples have 

 given me — a conversation with my own dear loved 

 wife, whom I have often had in my mind during 

 busy and exciting scenes, bearing patiently in her 

 far-distant and comfortless abode her own indis- 

 position, and comforting our dear patient little 

 Willie under his.' After some details of his 

 voyage he refers to the meeting, and says : ' The 

 King 5 was present, and, some flattering allusion 

 being made to him, he rose, and, much to the sur- 

 prise of all, addressed the meeting ; he said (as 

 Prince Canino translated it to me), he deserved 

 no praise, and could not listen to it from his own 

 Minister (the President, who was Minister of 

 the Interior) ; he felt himself the favoured and 



4 Meeting of the Italian Naturalists. 5 Bomba. 



