in
chapel or to see the throne erected for her with its back to the
Table, which has given great offence to many people. (I should have
said that before the Queen came I called on Dr Haviland, also on
Scholefield, also on the Master of Christ's.) After this she returned
to Trinity, and took into her head to look at the chapel. The cloth
laid on the pavement was not long enough and the undergraduates laid
down their gowns. Several of the undergraduate noblemen carried
candles to illuminate Newton's statue. After this the Prince went by
torchlight to the library. Then I suppose came dinner, and then it was
made known that at half-past nine the Queen would receive some Members
of the University. So I rigged myself up and went to the levee at the
Lodge and was presented in my turn; by the Vice-Chancellor as
"Ex-Professor Airy, your Majesty's Astronomer Royal." The Queen and
the Prince stood together, and a bow was made to and received from
each. The Prince recognised me and said "I am glad to see you," or
something like that. Next to him stood Goulburn, and next Lord
Lyndhurst, who to my great surprise spoke very civilly to me (as I
will tell you afterwards). The Queen had her head bare and a sort of
French white gown and looked very well. She had the ribbon of the
Garter on her breast; but like a ninny I forgot to look whether she
had the Garter upon her arm. The Prince wore his Garter. I went to bed
dead tired and got up with a headache.--About the degree to the Prince
and the other movements I will write again.

* * * * *

Here is a note from Cubitt relating to the blasting of the Round Down
Cliff at Dover referred to above:

GREAT GEORGE STREET,
_Jan. 20th, 1843_.

MY DEAR SIR,

_Thursday_ next the 26th at 12 is the time fixed for the attempt to
blow out the foot of the "Round Down" Cliff near Dover.

The Galvanic apparatus has been repeatedly tried in place--that is by
exploding cartridges in the very chambers of the rock prepared for the
powder--with the batteries at 1200 feet distance they are in full form
and act admirably so that I see but little fear of failure on that
head.

They have been rehearsing the explosions on the plan I most strongly
recommended, that is--to fire each chamber by an independent battery
and circuit and to discharge the three batteries simultaneously b