Louis Agassiz: His Life and Correspondence | Page 3

the United States." --Remarkable
Subscription.--Review of the Work.--Its Reception in Europe and

America.--Letters from Humboldt and Owen concerning it.
--Birthday.--Longfellow's Verses.--Laboratory at Nahant. --Invitation
to the Museum of Natural History in Paris.--Founding of Museum of
Comparative Zoology in Cambridge.--Summer Vacation in Europe.

CHAPTER 19.
1860-1863: AGE 53-56.
Return to Cambridge.--Removal of Collection to New Museum
Building. --Distribution of Work.--Relations with his
Students.--Breaking out of the War between North and South.--Interest
of Agassiz in the Preservation of the Union.--Commencement of
Museum Publications. --Reception of Third and Fourth Volumes of
"Contributions."--Copley Medal.--General Correspondence.--Lecturing
Tour in the West. --Circular Letter concerning Anthropological
Collections.--Letter to Mr. Ticknor concerning Geographical
Distribution of Fishes in Spain.

CHAPTER 20.
1863-1864: AGE 56-57.
Correspondence with Dr. S.G. Howe.--Bearing of the War on the
Position of the Negro Race.--Affection for Harvard College. --Interest
in her General Progress.--Correspondence with Emerson concerning
Harvard.--Glacial Phenomena in Maine.

CHAPTER 21.
1865-1868: AGE 58-61.

Letter to his Mother announcing Journey to Brazil.--Sketch of
Journey.--Kindness of the Emperor.--Liberality of the Brazilian
Government.--Correspondence with Charles Sumner.--Letter to his
Mother at Close of Brazil Journey.--Letter from Martius concerning
Journey in Brazil.--Return to Cambridge.--Lectures in Boston and New
York.--Summer at Nahant.--Letter to Professor Peirce on the Survey of
Boston Harbor.--Death of his Mother.--Illness. --Correspondence with
Oswald Heer.--Summer Journey in the West. --Cornell
University.--Letter from Longfellow.

CHAPTER 22.
1868-1871: AGE 61-64.
New Subscription to Museum.--Additional Buildings.--Arrangement of
New Collections.--Dredging Expedition on Board the Bibb.--Address
at the Humboldt Centennial.--Attack on the Brain.--Suspension of
Work.--Working Force at the Museum.--New Accessions.--Letter from
Professor Sedgwick.--Letter from Professor Deshayes.--Restored
Health.--Hassler Voyage proposed.--Acceptance.--Scientific
Preparation for the Voyage.

CHAPTER 23.
1871-1872: AGE 64-65.
Sailing of the Hassler.--Sargassum Fields.--Dredging at Barbados.
--From the West Indies to Rio de Janeiro.--Monte Video.
--Quarantine.--Glacial Traces in the Bay of Monte Video.--The Gulf of
Mathias.--Dredging off Gulf of St. George.--Dredging off Cape
Virgens.--Possession Bay.--Salt Pool.--Moraine.--Sandy Point. --Cruise
through the Straits.--Scenery.--Wind Storm.--Borja Bay. --Glacier
Bay.--Visit to the Glacier.--Chorocua Bay.

CHAPTER 24.
1872: AGE 65.
Picnic in Sholl Bay.--Fuegians.--Smythe's Channel.--Comparison of
Glacial Features with those of the Strait of Magellan.--Ancud. --Port of
San Pedro.--Bay of Concepcion.--Three Weeks in
Talcahuana.--Collections.--Geology.--Land Journey to Santiago.
--Scenes along the Road.--Report on Glacial Features to Mr. Peirce.
--Arrival at Santiago.--Election as Foreign Associate of the Institute of
France.--Valparaiso.--The Galapagos.--Geological and Zoological
Features.--Arrival at San Francisco.

CHAPTER 25.
1872-1873: AGE 65-66.
Return to Cambridge.--Summer School proposed.--Interest of Agassiz.
--Gift of Mr. Anderson.--Prospectus of Penikese School.
--Difficulties.--Opening of School.--Summer Work.--Close of School.
--Last Course of Lectures at Museum.--Lecture before Board of
Agriculture.--Illness.--Death.--Place of Burial.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
1. PORTRAIT OF LOUIS AGASSIZ AT THE AGE OF NINETEEN;
copied by Mrs. John W. Elliot from a pastel drawing by Cecile Braun.
2. THE STONE BASIN AT MOTIER; drawn by Mrs. Elliot from a
photograph.
3. THE LABORATORY AT NAHANT; from a drawing by Mrs.
Elliot.

4. THE BIRTHPLACE OF LOUIS AGASSIZ; from a photograph.
5. HOTEL DES NEUCHATELOIS; copied by Mrs. Elliot from an oil
sketch made on the spot by J. Burkhardt.
6. PORTRAIT OF JACOB LEUTHOLD; from a portrait by Burkhardt.
7. SECOND STATION ON THE AAR GLACIER; Copied by Mrs.
Elliot from a sketch in oil by J. Burkhardt.
8. PORTRAIT OF LOUIS AGASSIZ AT THE AGE OF FIFTY-FIVE;
originally published in "Nature".
9. COTTAGE AT NAHANT; from a photograph.
10. MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY; from a photograph.
11. PORTRAIT BUST OF AGASSIZ BY POWERS AT THE
MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY; from a photograph.
12. VIEW OF PENIKESE; from a photograph.
***
LOUIS AGASSIZ.
PART 1. IN EUROPE.

CHAPTER 1.
1807-1827: TO AGE 20.
Birthplace. Influence of his Mother. Early Love of Natural History.
Boyish Occupations. Domestic Education. First School. Vacations.
Commercial Life renounced. College of Lausanne. Choice of
Profession. Medical School of Zurich. Life and Studies there.
University of Heidelberg. Studies interrupted by Illness. Return to

Switzerland. Occupations during Convalescence.
JEAN LOUIS RODOLPHE AGASSIZ was born May 28, 1807, at the
village of Motier, on the Lake of Morat. His father, Louis Rodolphe
Agassiz, was a clergyman; his mother, Rose Mayor, was the daughter
of a physician whose home was at Cudrefin, on the shore of the Lake of
Neuchatel.
The parsonages in Switzerland are frequently pretty and picturesque.
That of Motier, looking upon the lake and sheltered by a hill which
commands a view over the whole chain of the Bernese Alps, was
especially so. It possessed a vineyard large enough to add something in
good years to the small salary of the pastor; an orchard containing,
among other trees, an apricot famed the country around for the
unblemished beauty of its abundant fruit; a good vegetable garden, and
a delicious spring of water flowing always fresh and pure into a great
stone basin behind the house. That stone basin was Agassiz's first
aquarium; there he had his first collection of fishes.* (* After