The Agassiz Memorials. 269 



greater risk than this. Who does not remember the 

 letter he addressed to Professor Peirce, of the Coast 

 Survey, just before he set out on the Hassler expedi- 

 tion, predicting in detail what evidences of glacial 

 action he expected to find on the continent of 

 South America, and what species of marine animals 

 he expected to discover in the deep-sea soundings 

 along that coast ? He risked his own reputation as 

 a scientific man on the predictions then committed 

 to writing. 



What member of this board will forget the lecture 

 he delivered here after his return, detailing the dis- 

 coveries he had made, and showing how completely 

 his predictions had been verified ? 



While he was the prince of scholars, and a recog- 

 nised teacher of mankind, yet he always preserved 

 that childlike spirit which made him the most amia- 

 ble of men. He studied nature with a reverence 

 born of his undoubting faith. He believed that the 

 universe was a cosmos, not a chaos ; and that 

 throughout all its vast domains there were indub- 

 itable evidences of creative power and supreme 

 wisdom. 



We have special cause for regret that his early 

 death has deprived this community and the world of 

 a series of lectures which were to have been deliv- 

 ered here this winter, on subjects of the deepest 

 interest to science. His death will be deplored in 

 whatever quarter of the globe genius is admired and 

 science is cherished. He has left behind him as a 

 legacy to mankind a name and a fame which will 

 abide as an everlasting possession. 



