xl 



ever, I am perhaps wrong saying so much, for, as no one is infallible, and 

 as the experience of past times may teach us to cloubt a theory which 

 seems to be most unchangeably established, so we cannot say what the 

 future may bring forth in regard to these views." 



He was made Member of the American Philosophical Society, Phila- 

 delphia, and Honorary Member of the Hunterian Medical Society, Edin- 

 burgh. 



He was in the autumn of this year ordained Elder in the Sandemanian 

 Church, and he held the office three years and a half. 



Mt. 49 (1841). 



On the 2nd of September Faraday went down to St. Catherine's lighthouse 

 in the Isle of Wight, to remedy the condensation of moisture on the glass in 

 the inside. On the 6th he returned home, "quite satisfied with the chimney, 

 and have no doubt we shall have a lantern quite clear from sweat, and also 

 much cleaner, both as to the mirrors and roof, from soot and blackness, than 

 heretofore." 



The 30th of June he left London for three months, with Mrs. Faraday 

 and Mr. and Mrs. George Barnard, for Ostend and Switzerland. The journal 

 which he kept contains many most beautiful descriptions. That of Brientz 

 Lake and the Giessbach is perhaps one of the most striking : — " George and 

 I crossed the lake in a boat to the Giessbach, he to draw and I to saunter. 

 The day was fine, but the wind against the boat ; and these boats are so 

 cumbrous, and at the same time expose so much surface to the air, that 

 we were about two hours doing the two miles, with two men and occa- 

 sionally our own assistance at the oar. We broke the oar-band ; we were 

 blown back and sideways. We were drawn against the vertical rock in a 

 place where the lake is nearly 1000 feet deep ; and I might tell a true tale, 

 which would sound very serious, yet after ail there was nothing of any con- 

 sequence but delay. But such is the fallacy of description. We reached 

 the fall and found it in its grandeur ; for, as much rain fell last night, 

 there was perhaps half as much more water than yesterday. This most 

 beautiful fall consists of a fine river, which passes by successive steps down 

 a very deep precipice into the lake. In some of these steps there is a clear 

 leap of water 100 feet or more ; in others, most beautiful combinations of 

 leap, cataract, and rapid — the finest rocks occurring at the sides and bed 

 of the torrent. In one part a bridge passes over it ; in another a cavern 

 and path occur under it, To-day every fall was foaming from the abun- 

 dance of water, and the current of wind brought down by it was in some 

 parts almost too strong to stand against. The sun shone brightly, and the 

 rainbows seen from various parts were very beautiful. One at the bottom 

 of a fine but furious fall was very pleasant ; there it remained motionless, 

 whilst the gusts and clouds of spray swept furiously across its place and 

 were dashed against the rock. It looked like a spirit strong in faith and 

 steadfast in the midst of the storm of passions sweeping across it ; and 



