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Royal Mint, at Sydney. He had just before won the gold medal in 

 chemistry, at his College, and was working at the time, along with 

 his cousin, Dr. Roscoe, in the Chemical Laboratory of Professor 

 A. W. Williamson. On receiving the appointment he at once threw 

 himself into the intricate processes of gold and silver assay, and by a 

 diligent course of study in London, under Mr. Graham, and at Paris, 

 under the authorities of the mint there, quickly qualified himself for 

 the duties of an office which he filled with conspicuous ability and 

 success for five years. His leisure at Sydney was devoted to scientific 

 pursuits, more particularly to the study of the meteorology of the 

 district, a subject which up to that time had been very little cultivated. 

 The results of his observations, extending over the whole period of 

 his residence in the colony, were embodied in a pamphlet entitled — 

 " Some Data concerning the Climate of Australia and New Zealand." 

 During this period he published also a paper, " On the Cirrous 

 Forms of Cloud, with remarks on other Forms of Cloud" ("Phil. 

 Mag.," 1857), and another " On the Geological Origin of Australia and 

 Earthquakes in New South Wales" (" Sydney Mag.," 1858). 



But his tastes and powers fitted him for higher pursuits than those 

 which chiefly occupied his time at Sydney, and in 1858 he resolved to 

 relinquish his post there, and to return to England that he might 

 resume and complete his University course. It was a bold step for 

 him to take, for it involved the surrender of a career full of promise 

 as to material advantages : bat Jevons throughout life was animated 

 by a pure and simple-hearted love for scientific labour. Writing to 

 his cousin in January, 1859, he says: "I feel an utter distaste for 

 money making, but on the contrary ever become more devoted to my 

 favourite subjects of study. Perhaps you think I am too varied and 

 desultory in my employments, which is partly true, but you know I 

 am yet in a transition state. I told you long since that I intended 

 exchanging the physical for the moral and logical sciences, in which 

 my forte will really be found to lie. I like and respect most of the 

 physical sciences well enough, but they never really had my affections. 

 I should be glad indeed to follow out my subject of the Clouds and 

 the movements of the atmosphere, because I feel sure I could place 

 it in a new position altogether ; perhaps I may spare time for this in 

 England, but I shall make it a secondary thing. I have almost 

 determined to spend a year at College before looking out for any 

 employment in England ; it might be worth while to take my B. A. 

 (If I had had this degree before coming to this colony, I should vastly 

 have improved my position in as well as outside the Mint.) I wish 

 especially to become a good mathematician, without which nothing, I 

 am convinced, can be thoroughly done. Most of my theories proceed 

 upon a kind of mathematical basis, but I exceedingly regret being 

 unable to follow them out beyond general arguments. I daresay it is 



