Mr. Faraday's introduction to Sir H. Davy.--A renewed correspondence on the subject of the Gunpowder Manufactory.--Davy obtains permission from Napoleon to visit the Continent.--He embarks in a Cartel from Plymouth.--Is arrested at Morlaix.--Arrives at Paris.--Visits the Louvre.--His extraordinary conduct upon that occasion.--Inspects the Colossal Elephant, and is introduced to M. Alavair, its architect.--The discovery of the dungeons of the Bastile.--Davy's interesting letter to M. Alavair.--He attends a meeting of the Institute.--Is visited by all the principal _savans_ of Paris.--The adventure which befell Lady Davy in the Thuilleries' Garden.--Anniversary dinner of the Philomatic Society.--The junior Chemists of France invite Davy to a splendid entertainment.--How far Davy is entitled to be considered the discoverer of the true nature of Iodine.--Napoleon's unlucky experiment with the Voltaic battery.--Davy is presented to the Empress Josephine.--An account of the Court ceremony at Malmaison.--Remarks on the conduct of Davy during his visit to Paris.--He quits the capital of France, and proceeds, by way of Lyons, to Montpellier.--Is assisted in experiments on sea-weed by M. Berard.--Crosses the Alps.--Arrives at Genoa.--Institutes experiments on the Torpedo.--Visits Florence, and accomplishes the combustion of the diamond, by the great lens in the cabinet of Natural History.--Experiments on Iodine.--He examines the colours used by the Ancients.--Visits all the celebrated Philosophers of Italy and Switzerland, with whom he works in their laboratories.--Returns to England. It is said of Bergman, that he considered the greatest of his discoveries to have been the discovery of Scheele.[1] Amongst the numerous services conferred upon Science by Sir Humphry Davy, we must not pass unnoticed that kind and generous patronage which first raised Mr. Faraday from obscurity, and gave to the chemical world a philosopher capable of pursuing that brilliant path of enquiry which the genius of his master had so successfully explored. [1] See Note at page 42, vol. i. The circumstances which first led Mr. Faraday to the study of chemistry, and by which he became connected with the Royal Institution, were communicated to me, by himself, in the following letter. TO J. A. PARIS, M.D. MY DEAR SIR, Royal Institution, Dec. 23, 1829. You asked me to give you an account of my first introduction to Sir H. Davy, which I am very happy to do, as I think the circumstances will bear testimony to his goodness of heart. When I was a bookseller's apprentice, I was very fond of experiment, and very averse to trade. It happened that a gentleman, a member of the Royal Institution, took me to hear some of Sir H. Davy's last lectures in Albemarle Street. I took notes, and afterwards wrote them out more fairly in a quarto volume.