The American Trip. 



85 



would also be remunerative. Referring to this he 

 wrote Prince Bonaparte in April, 1843, follows: 



Do you think any position will be open to me in 

 the United States, where I might earn enough to 

 enable me to continue the publication of my un- 

 happy books, which never pay their way because 

 they do not meet the wants of the world ? " 



Late in 1843 ^^e work Recherches stir les Poissons 

 Fossiles was completed, and in the following year the 

 monograph on the Fossil Fishes of the Old Red 

 Sandstone^ the latter especially a labour of love. 



The idea of an American trip, one that would 

 open up new and untrodden fields for scientific re- 

 search, and that would possibly prove in some way 

 remunerative, was ever in Agassiz's mind. It grew 

 in interest, and in 1845 he began seriously to investi- 

 gate the opportunities for success. He wrote to Sir 

 Charles Lyell, who was familiar with America, re- 

 garding it, and in reply the latter suggested as a 

 possible source of income the Lowell Institute, then 

 famous for its lecture courses, and communicated 

 with the Institute. This resulted in Agassiz receiv- 

 ing an offer for a course of lectures, which proved to 

 be the beginning of a new career, and gave to 

 America her greatest scientist. The possibilities of 

 the American trip were made greater by the aid of 

 the King of Prussia, who tendered Agassiz fifteen 

 thousand francs for scientific investigations. 



Agassiz left Neuchatel in March, 1846, going to 

 Paris, and his departure from the old home where he 

 had formed so many pleasant associations cast a 

 gloom over the entire community. M. Louis Favre 



