The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 (of 4) : $b Separate memoirsBalfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Science
The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 (of 4) : $b Separate memoirs
Balfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Embryology; Zoology
with failure, is not and perhaps never will be known. Since the provisions
at the sleeping-place were untouched, the deaths probably took place on
Wednesday the 19th. The bringing down the bodies proved to be a task of
extreme difficulty, and it was not till Wednesday the 26th that the remains
reached Courmayeur, where M. Bertolini, the master of the hotel, and indeed
everyone, not least the officers of a small body of Italian troops
stationed there, shewed the greatest kindness and sympathy to Balfour's
brothers, Gerald and Eustace, who hastened to the spot as soon as the news
of the terrible disaster was telegraphed home. Mr Walter Leaf also and Mr
Conway, friends of Balfour, the former a very old one, who had made their
way to Courmayeur from other parts of Switzerland as soon as they heard of
the accident, rendered great assistance. The body was embalmed, brought to
England, and buried at Whittinghame on Saturday, Aug. 5, the Fellows of
Trinity College holding a service in the College Chapel at the same time.
In person he was tall, being fully six feet in height, well built though
somewhat spare. A broad forehead overhanging deeply set dark brown eyes
whose light shining from beneath strongly marked eye-brows told all the
changes of his moods, slightly prominent cheek-bones, a pale skin, at times
inclined to be even sallow, dark brown hair, allowed to grow on the face
only as a small moustache, and slight whiskers, made up a countenance which
bespoke at once strength of character and delicacy of constitution. It was
an open countenance, hiding nothing, giving sign at once, both when his
body was weary or weak, and when his mind was gladdened, angered or
annoyed.
The record of some of his thoughts and work, all that he had given to the
world will be found in the following pages. But who can tell the ideas
which had passed into his quick brain, but which as yet were known only to
himself, of which he had given no sign up to that sad day on which he made
the fatal climb? And who can say whither he might not have reached had he
lived, and his bright young life ripened as years went on? This is not the
place to attempt any judgment of his work: that may be left to other times,
and to other hands; but it may be fitting to place here on record a letter
which shews how much the greatest naturalist of this age appreciated his
younger brother. Among Balfour's papers was found a letter from Charles
Darwin, acknowledging the receipt of Vol. II. of the _Comparative
Embryology_ in the following words:
"_July 6, 1881._
DOWN, BECKENHAM, KENT.
MY DEAR BALFOUR,
I thank you heartily for the present of your grand book, and
I congratulate you on its completion. Although I read almost
all of Vol. I, I do not feel that I am worthy of your
present, unless indeed the fullest conviction that it is a
memorable work makes me worthy to receive it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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