Sir Thomas Bernard allots Davy a piece of ground for Agricultural Experiments.--History of the Origin of the Royal Institution.--Its early labours.--Davy's Letters to Mr. Gilbert and to Mr. Poole.--Death of Mr. Gregory Watt.--Davy's Passion for Fishing, with Anecdotes.--He makes a Tour in Ireland: his Letters on the subject.--His Paper on the Analysis of the Wavellite.--His Memoirs on a new method of analysing Minerals which contain a fixed Alkali.--Reflections on the discovery of Galvanic Electricity 188 CHAPTER VI. The History of Galvanism divided into six grand Epochs.--Davy extends the experiment of Nicholson and Carlisle.--His Pile of one metal and two fluids.--Dr. Wollaston advocates the doctrine of oxidation being the primary cause of Voltaic Phenomena.--Davy's modification of that theory.--His Bakerian Lecture of 1806.--He discovers the sources of the acid and alkaline matter eliminated from water by Voltaic action.--On the nature of Electrical decomposition and transfer.--On the relations between the Electrical energies of bodies, and their Chemical affinities.--General developement of the Electro-chemical Laws.--Illustrations, Applications, and Conclusions 216 CHAPTER VII. The unfair rivalry of Philosophers.--Bonaparte the Patron of Science--He liberates Dolomieu.--He founds a Prize for the encouragement of Electric researches.--His letter to the Minister of the Interior.--Proceedings of the Institute.--The Prize is conferred on Davy.--The Bakerian Lecture of 1807.--The Decomposition of the Fixed Alkalies--Potassium--Sodium.--The Questions to which the discovery gave rise.--Interesting Extracts from the Manuscript notes of the Laboratory.--Potash decomposed by a chemical process.--Letters to Children, and Pepys.--The true nature of Potash discovered.--Whether Ammonia contains oxygen.--Davy's severe Illness.--He recovers and resumes his labours.--His Fishing Costume.--He decomposes the Earths.--Important views to which the discovery has led 253 CHAPTER VIII.