To Thomas Archer Hirst   July 15th 1851

Queenwood July 15^th 1851.

My Dear Tom

I have just got my chaos of goods and chattels into something like order and ere the simmer of my brain has subsided I take up the pen to write to you – It will be a sad dislocated epistle no doubt as my thoughts are flying about like sparks from a crackling twig. From Hamburg to London occupied from 50 to 60 hours – I was one day sick and a dismal wet day it was –I was astonished to find the weather so beautiful on entering the Thames and more so to find that such weather had existed for a fortnight previous – Having got thro’ the claws of the custom house officials I posted straight off to the waterloo Station and took my ticket for Queenwood – arrived safe – put some of my things in order and after 3 days stay started to Ipswich¹ – called upon Francis in passing through London and arranged that we should lodge together – got most comfortable lodgins but dear – paid my pound, got my ticket and thus found the doors of the British Association open to me – The wrong key note was struck at the very commencement – I had sent in the titles of 4 papers² with the probable time to be occupied in reading them, but the Secretary instead of sending them to the physical Section sent them to the chemical one – My name appeared in the list the first day and it was too late to transfer the paper; so that day passed without my having an opportunity of saying anything – Met Faraday in the street and a most friendly meeting it was – It was then thursday and he told me that the next day was all he could spend [at] Ipswich – he expressed a strong wish to hear my paper on Diamagnetism³ so it was arranged that it should come forward next day. – Then came the Prince⁴ and his train of asinine flunkeys – He bothered the proceedings sadly – The president⁵ and some of the chief men found themselves compelled to be near him and on this account many men before whom I should like to have read the paper were absent – many great guns were however present⁶ It was towards the close of the day when I came on and the Section was already tired – at least I carried this feeling with me to the platform and this induced me to hurry over the paper more quickly than I otherwise should have done. It was well received and Faraday spoke at some length afterwards – the substance of what he said is contained in the Athenaeum⁷ I sent you; but there is a stupid remark tacked on⁸ which refers to a portion of the subject which is not contained in the abstract and therefore stands without meaning – Another blunder occurred on monday which caused me to be omitted in the physical list, and on Tuesday, the last day I got – not a paper read for I used no notes but a kind of a running lecture on ‘Airbubbles formed in Water’⁹ and illustrated by experiments – This was exceedingly well received – though towards the close of the day, and though the room at the commencement was thin, before I ended every seat was occupied – This has taught me a bit of experience and that is to trust myself more and my notes less – When you read a paper there is no danger of omission but it lacks the life and interest of an extempore discourse – The same day I managed to introduce a pretty experiment in thermoelectricity¹⁰ and thus my connexion with the British Association ended – The two evening lectures were delivered, the one by Airy and the other by Owen I believe at the desire of both¹¹ – I reached London last Wednesday and remained there until Sunday afternoon, having some business to do for the Philosophical Mag. and for the Literary Gazette.¹² During the time I witnessed that pompous ceremony the Queens visit to the city – The streets along which she passed formed one great artery throbbing with the blood of all London – The illuminations were magnificent and the golden carriages must have shone like the holy of holies and highest heaven to the eyes of all flunkeys – but I can well excuse this bit of enthusiasm, far better than another bit got up by the Ipswichians to welcome prince Albert – arches of laurel were thrown across the streets and one of them bore in front the following words – ‘Albert the elevator of his Race’ and behind ‘Welcome patron of Science’ – this piece of gratuitous valethood originating as it did with the quakers of the place stank in my nostrils¹³ – what the devil had he done to elevate his race, or to patronize Science? – Many a decent fellow has conceived a disgust for another decent fellow purely as a reaction against the flatterers of the latter, and this flunkeyism of Ipswich has rather tended to make the prince despicable in my eyes N’importe¹⁴ they have their reward – flunkeyism gets the loaves and fishes¹⁵ and if you and I rebel against it it must be at the peril of the alimentary canal.

I like the way things are opening here. Though my arrival two days ago was accompanied by an unpleasant circumstance originating in M^r Edmondson’s want of decision – it was with regard to a room – Debus had to vacate a room strongly against his will and which he had been given to understand was his but which they now say was intended for me – Debus is now content but the thing was very disagreeable – I find every proposal I make is acceded to and once acceded to prompt carrying out is the immediate consequence – we thus avoid hesitation and hope to continue to avoid it – Yates¹⁶ is off, having got a situation in Worksop¹⁷ – Even Debus during the short time which they have been together at Queenwood stuck his claws in him almost daily – He is a most incomprehensible fellow – Haas is in Switzerland – Debus and myself are here alone – I spent one day at the Great Exhibition¹⁸ – It is an enormous affair – a decided hit in its way – the most pleasing part of the matter is to get upon one of the galleries and watch the variegated mass of life which swings to and fro underneath, and then the people are all so smiling and happy looking – it is really pleasant to behold. Is the Leader¹⁹ defunct? I did not see its name in the usual place – I shall now work like a brick and live like a miser until I get myself out of debt²⁰ – A year will do it please the gods – How are you Tom? I wish to hear from you – I often think of you and those accursed bowels always draw their trail across my vision – Rest assured of it Tom your head has something to do with you abdomen – Give in a little at times boy – and if you think it a sin why lay it upon me –

Your affectionate Tyndall.

RI MS JT/1/T/543