Aug. 26th.—­Worked from about 9.45 to 6.45, and again from 10.15 to 11.45 (making 101/2 hours altogether) at an idea which occurred to me of finding limits for pi by elementary trigonometry, for the benefit of the circle-squarers.

Dec. 12th.—­Invented a new way of working one word
into another.  I think of calling the puzzle “syzygies.”

I give the first three specimens:—­

MAN                 }
permanent              }
entice           } Send MAN on ICE. 
ICE.          }

ACRE                  }
sacred                 }
credentials          } RELY on ACRE.
entirely         }
RELY         }

PRISM               }
prismatic           }
dramatic           } Prove PRISM to be ODIOUS.
melodrama              }
melodious              }
ODIOUS.             }

In February, 1880, Mr. Dodgson proposed to the Christ Church “Staff-salaries Board,” that as his tutorial work was lighter he should have L200 instead of L300 a year.  It is not often that a man proposes to cut down his own salary, but the suggestion in this case was intended to help the College authorities in the policy of retrenchment which they were trying to carry out.

May 24th.—­Percival, President of Trin.  Coll., who has Cardinal Newman as his guest, wrote to say that the Cardinal would sit for a photo, to me, at Trinity.  But I could not take my photography there and he couldn’t come to me:  so nothing came of it.

Aug. 19th. [At Eastbourne].—­Took Ruth and Maud to the Circus (Hutchinson and Tayleure’s—­from America).  I made friends with Mr. Tayleure, who took me to the tents of horses, and the caravan he lived in.  And I added to my theatrical experiences by a chat with a couple of circus children—­Ada Costello, aged 9, and Polly (Evans, I think), aged 13.  I found Ada in the outer tent, with the pony on which she was to perform—­practising vaulting on to it, varied with somersaults on the ground.  I showed her my wire puzzle, and ultimately gave it her, promising a duplicate to Polly.  Both children seemed bright and happy, and they had pleasant manners.

Sept. 2nd.—­Mrs. H—­ took me to Dr. Bell’s (the old homoeopathic doctor) to hear Lord Radstock speak about “training children.”  It was a curious affair.  First a very long hymn; then two very long extempore prayers (not by Lord R—­), which were strangely self-sufficient and wanting in reverence.  Lord R—­’s remarks were commonplace enough, though some of his theories were new, but, I think, not true—­e.g., that encouraging emulation in schoolboys, or desiring that they should make a good position in life, was un-Christian.  I escaped at the first opportunity after his speech, and went down on the beach, where I made acquaintance with a family who were banking up with sand the feet and legs of a pretty little girl perched on a sand-castle.  I got her