July 12, 1851.

The interval between my letters has been a little longer than usual, as I have been very busy attending the meeting of the British Association at Ipswich.  The last time I attended one was at Southampton five years ago, when I went merely as a spectator, and looked at the people who read papers as if they were somebodies. (See Chapter 2, ad fin.) This time I have been behind the scenes myself and have played out my little part on the boards.  I know all about the scenery and decorations, and no longer think the manager a wizard.

Any one who conceives that I went down from any especial interest in the progress of science makes a great mistake.  My journey was altogether a matter of policy, partly for the purpose of doing a little necessary trumpeting, and partly to get the assistance of the Association in influencing the Government.

On the journey down, my opposite in the railway carriage turned out to be Sir James Ross, the Antarctic discoverer.  We had some very pleasant talk together.  I knew all about him, as Dayman (one of the lieutenants of the “Rattlesnake”) had sailed under his command; oddly enough we afterwards went to lodge at the same house, but as we were attending our respective sections all day we did not see much of one another.

When we arrived at Ipswich there was a good deal of trouble about getting lodgings.  My companions located themselves about a mile out of the town, but that was too far for my “indolent habits”; I sought and at last found a room in the town a little bigger than my cabin on board ship for which I had the satisfaction of paying 30 shillings a week.

You know what the British Association is.  It is a meeting of the savans of England and the Continent, under the presidency of some big-wig or other,—­this year of the Astronomer-Royal,—­for the purpose of exchanging information.  To this end they arrange themselves into different sections, each with its own president and committee, and indicated by letters.  For instance, Section A is for Mathematics and Physics; Section B for Chemistry, etc.; my own section, that of Natural History, was D, under the presidency of Professor Henslow of Cambridge.  I was on the committee, and therefore saw the working of the whole affair.

On the first day there was a dearth of matter in our section.  People had not arrived with their papers.  So by way of finding out whether I could speak in public or not, I got up and talked to them for about twenty minutes.  I was considerably surprised to find that when once I had made the plunge, my tongue went glibly enough.