stopped　me；　and　heaped　coals　of　fire　on　my　head　by　telling　me　that
  he　had　tried　to　get　me　one　of　the　resident　appointments；　much
  coveted　by　the　assistant　surgeons；　but　that　the　Admiralty　had　put
  in　another　man。　　〃However；〃　said　he；　〃I　mean　to　keep　you　here　till
  I　can　get　you　something　you　will　like；〃　and　turned　upon　his　heel
  without　waiting　for　the　thanks　I　stammered　out。　　That　explained　how
  it　was　I　had　not　been　packed　off　to　the　West　Coast　of　Africa　like
  some　of　my　juniors；　and　why；　eventually；　I　remained　altogether
  seven　months　at　Haslar。
  After　a　long　interval；　during　which　〃Old　John〃　ignored　my　existence
  almost　as　completely　as　before；　he　stopped　me　again　as　we　met　in　a
  casual　way；　and　describing　the　service　on　which　the　Rattlesnake　was
  likely　to　be　employed；　said　that　Captain　Owen　Stanley；　who　was　to
  command　the　ship；　had　asked　him　to　recommend　an　assistant　surgeon
  who　knew　something　of　science；　would　I　like　that？　　Of　course　I
  jumped　at　the　offer。　　〃Very　well；　I　give　you　leave；　go　to　London　at
  once　and　see　Captain　Stanley。〃　　I　went；　saw　my　future　commander；
  who　was　very　civil　to　me；　and　promised　to　ask　that　I　should　be
  appointed　to　his　ship；　as　in　due　time　I　was。　　It　is　a　singular
  thing　that；　during　the　few　months　of　my　stay　at　Haslar；　I　had　among
  my　messmates　two　future　Directors…General　of　the　Medical　Service　of
  the　Navy　（Sir　Alexander　Armstrong　and　Sir　John　Watt…Reid）；　with　the
  present　President　of　the　College　of　Physicians　and　my　kindest　of
  doctors；　Sir　Andrew　Clark。
  Life　on　board　Her　Majesty's　ship　in　those　days　was　a　very　different
  affair　from　what　it　is　now；　and　ours　was　exceptionally　rough；　as　we
  were　often　many　months　without　receiving　letters　or　seeing　any
  civilised　people　but　ourselves。　　In　exchange；　we　had　the　interest
  of　being　about　the　last　voyagers；　I　suppose；　to　whom　it　could　be
  possible　to　meet　with　people　who　knew　nothing　of　fire…armsas　we
  did　on　the　south　coast　of　New　Guineaand　of　making　acquaintance
  with　a　variety　of　interesting　savage　and　semi…civilised　people。
  But；　apart　from　experience　of　this　kind　and　the　opportunities
  offered　for　scientific　work；　to　me；　personally；　the　cruise　was
  extremely　valuable。　　It　was　good　for　me　to　live　under　sharp
  discipline；　to　be　down　on　the　realities　of　existence　by　living　on
  bare　necessaries；　to　find　out　how　extremely　well　worth　living　life
  seemed　to　be　when　one　woke　up　from　a　night's　rest　on　a　soft　plank；
  with　the　sky　for　canopy　and　cocoa　and　weevilly　biscuit　the　sole
  prospect　for　breakfast；　and；　more　especially；　to　learn　to　work　for
  the　sake　of　what　I　got　for　myself　out　of　it；　even　if　it　all　went　to
  the　bottom　and　I　along　with　it。　　My　brother　officers　were　as　good
  fellows　as　sailors　ought　to　be　and　generally　are；　but；　naturally；
  they　neither　knew　nor　cared　anything　about　my　pursuits；　nor
  understood　why　I　should　be　so　zealous　in　pursuit　of　the　objects
  which　my　friends；　the　middies；＇10＇　christened　〃Buffons；〃　after　the
  title　conspicuous　on　a　volume　of　the　Suites　a　Buffon；＇11＇　which
  stood　on　my　shelf　in　the　chart　room。
  During　the　four　years　of　our　absence；　I　sent　home　communication
  after　communication　to　the　〃Linnean　Society；〃＇12＇　with　the　same
  result　as　that　obtained　by　Noah　when　he　sent　the　raven　out　of　his　ark。
  Tired　at　last　of　hearing　nothing　about　them；　I　determined　to　do　or
  die；　and　in　1849　I　drew　up　a　more　elaborate　paper　and　forwarded　it
  to　the　Royal　Society。＇13＇　　This　was　my　dove；　if　I　had　only　known　it。
  But　owing　to　the　movements　of　the　ship；　I　heard　nothing　of　that
  either　until　my　return　to　England　in　the　latter　end　of　the　year
  1850；　when　I　found　that　it　was　printed　and　published；　and　that　a
  huge　packet　of　separate　copies　awaited　me。　　When　I　hear　some　of　my
  young　friends　complain　of　want　of　sympathy　and　encouragement；　I　am
  inclined　to　think　that　my　naval　life　was　not　the　least　valuable
  part　of　my　education。
  Three　years　after　my　return　were　occupied　by　a　battle　between　my
  scientific　friends　on　the　one　hand　and　the　Admiralty　on　the　other；
  as　to　whether　the　latter　ought；　or　ought　not；　to　act　up　to　the
  spirit　of　a　pledge　they　had　given　to　encourage　officers　who　had
  done　scientific　work　by　contributing　to　the　expense　of　publishing
  mine。　　At　last　the　Admiralty；　getting　tired；　I　suppose；　cut　short
  the　discussion　by　ordering　me　to　join　a　ship；　which　thing　I
  declined　to　do；　and　as　Rastignac；＇14＇　in　the　Pere　Goriot　＇15＇　says
  to　Paris；　I　said　to　London　〃a　nous　deux。〃　　I　desired　to　obtain　a
  Professorship　of　either　Physiology　or　Comparative　Anatomy；　and　as
  vacancies　occurred　I　applied；　but　in　vain。　　My　friend；　Professor
  Tyndall；＇16＇　and　I　were　candidates　at　the　same　time；　he　for　the　Chair
  of　Physics　and　I　for　that　of　Natural　History　in　the　University　of
  Toronto；　which；　fortunately；　as　it　turned　out；　would　not　look　at
  either　of　us。　　I　say　fortunately；　not　from　any　lack　of　respect　for
  Toronto；　but　because　I　soon　made　up　my　mind　that　London　was　the
  place　for　me；　and　hence　I　have　steadily　declined　the　inducements　to
  leave　it；　which　have　at　various　times　been　offered。　　At　last；　in
  1854；　on　the　translation　of　my　warm　friend　Edward　Forbes；　to
  Edinburgh；　Sir　Henry　de　la　Beche；　the　Director…General　of　the
  Geological　Survey；　offered　me　the　post　Forbes　vacated　of
  Paleontologist　and　Lecturer　on　Natural　History。　　I　refused　the
  former　point　blank；　and　accepted　the　latter　only　provisionally；
  telling　Sir　Henry　that　I　did　not　care　for　fossils；　and　that　I
  should　give　up　Natural　History　as　soon　as　I　could　get　a
  physiological　post。　　But　I　held　the　office　for　thirty…one　years；
  and　a　large　part　of　my　work　has　been　paleontological。
  At　that　time　I　disliked　public　speaking；　and　had　a　firm　conviction
  that　I　should　break　down　every　time　I　opened　my　mouth。　　I　believe　I
  had　every　fault　a　speaker　could　have　（except　talking　at　random　or
  indulging　in　rhetoric）；　when　I　spoke　to　the　first　important
  audience　I　ever　addressed；　on　a　Friday　evening　at　the　Royal
  Institution；　in　1852。　　Yet；　I　must　confess　to　having　been　guilty；
  malgre　moi；　of　as　much　public　speaking　as　most　of　my
  contemporaries；　and　for　the　last　ten　years　it　ceased　to　be　so　much
  of　a　bugbear　to　me。　　I　used　to　pity　myself　for　having　to　go　through
  this　training；　but　I　am　now　more　disposed　to　compassionate　the
  unfortunate　audiences；　especially　my　ever　friendly　hearers　at　the
  Royal　Institution；　who　were　the　subjects　of　my　oratorical
  experiments。
  The　last　thing　that　it　would　be　proper　for　me　to　do　would　be　to
  speak　of　the　work　of　my　life；　or　to　say　at　the　end　of　the　day
  whether　I　think　I　have　earned　my　wages　or　not。　　Men　are　said　to　be
  partial　judges　of　themselves。　　Young　men　may　be；　I　doubt　if　old　men
  are。　　Life　seems　terribly　foreshortened　as　they　look　back　and　the
  mountain　they　set　themselves　to　climb　in　youth　turns　out　to　be　a
  mere　spur　of　immeasurably　higher　ranges　when；　by　failing　breath；
  they　reach　the　top。　　But　if　I　may　speak　of　the　objects　I　have　had
  more　or　less　definitely　in　view　since　I　began　the　ascent　of　my
  hillock；　they　are　briefly　these：　To　promote　the　increase　of　natural
  knowledge　and　to　forward　the　application　of　scientific　methods　of
  investigation　to　all　the　problems　of　life　to　the　best　of　my
  ability；　in　the　conviction　which　has　grown　with　my　growth　and
  strengthened　with　my　strength；　that　there　is　no　alleviation　for　the
  sufferings　of　mankind　except　veracity　of　thought　and　of　action；　and
  the　resolute　facing　of　the　world　as　it　is　when　the　garment　of　make…
  believe　by　which　pious　hands　have　hidden　its　uglier　features　is
  stripped　off。
  It　is　with　this　intent　that　I　have　subordinated　any　reasonable；　or
  unreasonable；　ambition　for　scientific　fame　which　I　may　have
  permitted　myself　to　entertain　to　other　ends；　to　the　popularization
  of　science；　to　the　development　and　organisation　of　scientific
  education；　to　the　endless　series　of　battles　and　skirmishes　over
  evolution；　and　to　untiring　opposition　to　that　ecclesiastical
  spirit；＇17＇　that　clericalism；　which　in　England；　as　everywhere　else；
  and　to　whatever　denomination　it　may　belong；　is　the　deadly　enemy　of
  science。
  In　striving　for　the　attainment　of　these　objects；　I　have　been　but
  one　among　many；　and　I　shall　be　well　content　to　be　remembered；　or
  even　not　remembered；　as　such。　　Circumstances；　among　which　I　am
  proud　to　reckon　the　devoted　kindness　of　many　friends；　have　led　to
  my　occupation　of　various　prominent　positions；　among　which　the
  Presidency　of　the　Royal　Society　is　the　highest。　　It　would　be　mock
  modesty　on　my　part；　with　these　and　other　scientific　honours　which
  have　been　bestowed　upon　me；　to　pretend　that　I　have　not　succeeded　in
  the　career　which　I　have　followed；　rather　because　I　was　driven　into
  it　than　of　my　own　free　will；　but　I　am　afraid　I　should　not　count
  even　these　things　as　marks　of　success　if　I　could　not　hope　that　I
  had　somewhat　helped　that　movement　of　opinion　which　has　been　called
  the　New　Reformation。＇18＇
  ON　THE　ADVISABLENESS　OF　IMPROVING　NATURAL　KNOW