Sir Francis Galton. 



XI 



sent to King Edward's School at Birmingham. He describes his time there 

 as a period of stagnation, for he had little taste for the purely classical 

 teaching then customary, and had no opportunity of obtaining other kinds of 

 instruction which he would have eagerly embraced. As it was intended 

 that he should follow the medical profession he left school early, and after 

 some preliminary apprenticeship to medical men in Birmingham he entered 

 for a year's study at the medical school of King's College, London. 



In 1840 he made a rapid tour to Vienna, Constantinople, and Smyrna. 

 Such a journey was not at that time nearly as easy as it is now, and it is 

 only mentioned as indicating his early desire to travel off the beaten track. 

 In October of the same year he entered Trinity College, Cambridge. At 

 Cambridge he formed friendships with many men who afterwards became 

 famous, and he considered his University career to have been of the greatest 

 service to him in promoting his intellectual growth. He read mathematics 

 with the celebrated tutor, William Hopkins, and he obviously had a consider- 

 able aptitude for that branch of study. However, a severe illness during his 

 third year at Cambridge made it impossible for him to persevere with this 

 course of reading, and he proceeded to take the Ordinary or " Poll " degree. 

 Throughout his life he had a warm affection for his University, and amongst 

 the honours which he appreciated most highly in later life was his election 

 in 1902 to an honorary fellowship at Trinity College. 



In 1844, just after Galton had taken his degree, his father died, and under 

 the will he found himself in possession of means ample enough to permit 

 him to abandon the contemplated medical profession and to give rein to his 

 aspirations for travel. 



Accordingly in 1845 he went up the Nile as far as Khartum and after- 

 wards travelled in Syria; Such a journey was at that time an adventurous 

 one, and it served in his case as an incentive to the exploration which he 

 undertook some years later. On his return from the East he gave himself 

 from 1845 to 1850 to the sporting pursuits of a country gentleman, but 

 these amusements did not suffice to satisfy his ambition. He had become 

 a member of the Eoyal Geographical Society, and had in that way made the 

 acquaintance of many distinguished travellers. Fired by their example, he 

 determined on making an exploratory journey at his own expense, and after 

 considering for some time whither he should go, he fixed on Damaraland as 

 the place of travel. Damaraland is now German territory and is fairly well 

 known, but at that time it was completely unexplored. He started inland 

 from Walfish Bay and penetrated far into the interior, meeting with many 

 dangers and hardships on the way. An interesting account of this journey 

 is contained in his work 1 Tropical South Africa,' published in 1853, and the 

 importance of his daring exploration was recognised by the award of medals 

 by the English and French Geographical Societies. 



It was in 1853, and thus not very long after his return, that he married 

 Louisa Jane, daughter of George Butler, Dean of Peterborough and 

 previously Headmaster of Harrow School. The marriage was a singularly 



