XXX] BOSTON TO WASHINGTON 109 



this hotel ! The bill of fare at dinner (i to 3 o'clock) has 

 generally two kinds of soup, two of fish, about twenty to 

 thirty different dishes of meat, poultry, and game, a dozen 

 sorts of pastry, a dozen of vegetables, besides ices, and what- 

 ever fruits are in season. You can order anything you like 

 in any combination, and they are brought in little dishes, 

 which are arranged around your plate. Everything is good 

 and admirably cooked. The pies and puddings are equally 

 good. At breakfast and supper there is about half the 

 number of dishes." 



During the whole time I was in America I had a wonder- 

 ful appetite, and ate much more than I did at home, and 

 enjoyed excellent health. I imputed this at the time to the 

 more bracing air, the novelty, and the excitement. But from 

 subsequent events I am inclined to think that I really did not 

 eat enough nourishing food at home, although I had what I 

 liked best, and seemed to eat plenty of it. 



At my first lecture on " The Darwinian Theory," I had a 

 crowded and very attentive audience, and the newspaper 

 notices the next morning showed that it was a success. One 

 of the shortest and best of these was in The Transcript^ and 

 was as follows : — 



" The first Darwinian, Wallace, did not leave a leg for 

 anti-Darwinism to stand on when he had got through his first 

 Lowell lecture last evening. It was a masterpiece of con- 

 densed statement — as clear and simple as compact — a most 

 beautiful specimen of scientific work. Mr. Wallace, though 

 not an orator, is likely to become a favourite as a lecturer, 

 his manner is so genuinely modest and straightforward." 



During the time my lectures were going on I occupied 

 myself at the museums, libraries, and institutions of Boston, 

 and paid a few visits in the country. I soon made the 

 acquaintance of Dr. Asa Gray, the first American botanist, 

 General Walker, the political economist, Messrs. Hyatt, 

 Scudder, Morse, and other biologists ; while Mr. Houghton, 

 the publisher, who was very polite, asked me to call at his 

 office to read whenever I liked, and invited me to dinner to 

 meet Oliver Wendell Holmes. I met the Autocrat of the 



