I arrived here at 3 o’clock yesterday, having passed
through the most beautiful parts of the Rhine land. A passenger came on board
at Coblentz who spoke English well, and told me about the Bonn
meeting—very agreeable. Just as we were preparing to quit the boat he
came and said: “Are you Mr. John
Murray?” “Yes.” “Well, you were very
kind to a relation of mine, Mr. Nebel,
who gave you a letter of introduction to me at Coblentz, which you never
delivered; he has since returned, and is now at
| MURRAY’S VISIT TO GERMANY. | 363 |
I was much amused with my first experience of a public dinner in Germany—their toasts, &c. The ladies stayed the whole time, and drank plentifully of champagne; one of them was pointed out as having taken no less than fourteen glasses! I sat near Mr. Nebel at dinner, who is very anxious to show me attention. This morning, after breakfast, I accompanied Torrie* to the General Meeting, where there were 500 gentlemen, and probably as many ladies, who had a kind of orchestra set apart for them behind the men. Every one has a number given him, and a chair with a corresponding number, so there was no disorder. As the meeting to-day was only for the receipt of communications in German, as soon as I had satisfied my eyes I came home to write. Mr. Hersser, Mr. and Mrs. Lyell, &c., were there. Mrs. Buckland is with the Professor, and is the only lady who is to accompany the expedition to-morrow, it being on their route to some other place. Torrie has just been here, and says that the party will consist of fifty gentlemen, chiefly geologists, who are to set out at 6 to-morrow in caravans for a certain distance, and are then to proceed in lighter carriages. Those who carry hammers are to walk. We sleep to-morrow at Ahrweiler; the next day, Sunday, proceed to the gardens of some prince, who gives a dinner to the whole party, and we return in the evening to Bonn. I am now going with Torrie to dine with the same party as yesterday, but at I o’clock instead of 2, to give us more time to make out an excursion afterwards to a beautiful little watering-place, of which a tower is seen on the Rhine opposite Drachenfels, called (oh for mine book!) Godesberg.
P.S.—Provokingly the dinner hour has been changed to 2, and I now write a P.S. in a saloon appropriated to the exhibition of Mr. Nebel’s drawings.
P.P.S.—Buckland has just risen to speak; applause from the assembled Society of 300 Germans.
