The record of his undergraduate life is not very full; his letters to his father have, unfortunately, been lost, but we have enough in the recollections of friends still living to picture what it was like. At first he lodged in King’s Parade with an old Edinburgh schoolfellow, C. H. Robertson. He attended the College lectures on mathematics, though they were somewhat elementary, and worked as a private pupil with Porter, of Peterhouse. His father writes to him, November, 1850: “Have you called on Professors Sedgwick, at Trin., and Stokes, at Pembroke? If not, you should do both. Stokes will be most in your line, if he takes you in hand at all. Sedgwick is also a great Don in his line, and, if you were entered in geology, would be a most valuable acquaintance.” In his second year he became a pupil of Hopkins, the great coach; he also attended Stokes’ lectures, and the friendship which lasted till his death was thus begun. In April, 1852, he was elected a scholar, and obtained rooms in College (G, Old Court). In June, 1852, he came of age. “I trust you will be as discreet when major as you have been while minor,” writes his father the day before. The next academic year, October, 1852, to June, 1853, was a very busy one; hard grind for the Tripos occupied his time, and he seems to have been thoroughly overstrained. He was taken ill while staying near Lowestoft with the Rev. C. B. Tayler, the uncle of a College friend. His own account of the illness is given in a letter to Professor Campbell[13], dated July 14th, 1853. “You wrote just in time for your letter to reach me as I reached Cambridge. After examination, I went to visit the Rev. C. B. Tayler (uncle to a Tayler whom I think you have seen under the name of _Freshman_, etc., and author of many tracts and other didactic works). We had little expedites and walks, and things parochial and educational, and domesticity. I intended to return on the 18th June, but on the 17th I felt unwell, and took measures accordingly to be well again--_i.e._ went to bed, and made up my mind to recover. But it lasted more than a fortnight, during which time I was taken care of beyond expectation (not that I did not expect much before). When I was perfectly useless and could not sit up without fainting, Mr. Tayler did everything for me in such a way that I had no fear of giving trouble. So did Mrs. Tayler; and the two nephews did all they could. So they kept me in great happiness all the time, and detained me till I was able to walk about and got back strength. I returned on the 4th July. “The consequence of all this is that I correspond with Mr. Tayler, and have entered into bonds with the nephews, of all of whom more hereafter. Since I came here I have been attending Hop., but, with his approval, did not begin full swing. I am getting on, though, and the work is not grinding on the prepared brain.”