It was on this occasion that the friends made what they thought a new discovery, namely evidence of glacial action in central France.  Besides striated stones in the fields or built into the walls, they noticed the glaciated appearance of one of the valleys descending from the peak, and especially some isolated gigantic masses of rock on an open part of the valley, several miles away, as to which they debated whether they were low buildings or transported blocks.  Sir Joseph visited them next day, and found they were the latter, brought down from the upper part of the peak. (He published an account of these blocks in “Nature” 8 31, 166, but subsequently found that glaciation had been observed by von Lassaul in 1872 and by Sir William Guise in 1870.)

Lepuy offered a special attraction apart from scenery and geology.  In the museum was the skeleton of a prehistoric man that had been found in the breccia of the neighbourhood, associated with the remains of the rhinoceros, elephant, and other extinct mammals.  My father’s sketch-book contains drawings of these bones and of the ravine where they were discovered, although in spite of directions from M. Aymard, the curator, he could not find the exact spot.  Under the sketch is a description of the remains, in which he notes,] “The bones do not look fresher than some of those of Elephas and Rhinoceros in the same or adjacent cases.”

[As for the final stage of the excursion:—­

After leaving the Ardeche (continues Sir J. Hooker), with no Scrope to lead or follow, our scientific ardours collapsed.  We had vague views as to future travel.  Whatever one proposed was unhesitatingly acceded to by the other.  A more happy-go-lucky pair of idlers never joined company.

As will be seen from the following letters, they made their way to the Black Forest, where they stayed till Sir Joseph’s duties called him back to England, and my mother came out to join my father for the rest of his holiday. (You ask me (Sir Joseph adds) whether your father smoked on the occasion of this tour.  Yes, he did, cigars in moderation.  But the history of his addiction to tobacco that grew upon him later in life, dates from an earlier excursion that we took together, and I was the initiator of the practice.  It happened in this wise; he had been suffering from what was supposed to be gastric irritation, and, being otherwise “run down,” we agreed to go, in company with Sir John Lubbock, on a tour to visit the great monoliths of Brittany.  This was in 1867.  On arriving at Dinan he suffered so much, that I recommended his trying a few cigarettes which I had with me.  They acted as a charm, and this led to cigars, and finally, about 1875 I think, to the pipe.  That he subsequently carried the use of tobacco to excess is, I think, unquestionable.  I repeatedly remonstrated with him, at last I think (by backing his medical adviser) with effect.

I have never blamed myself for the “teaching him” to smoke, for the practice habitually palliated his distressing symptoms when nothing else did, nor can his chronic illness be attributed to the abuse of tobacco.)