he subject,
but I did not care about it; I am certain that at that time I had never
heard the word Geology. I think it was now, on going with Somerville to
see the Edinburgh Museum, that I recognised the fossil plants I had seen
in the coal limestone on the sands at the Links of Burntisland.
Ultimately Geology became a favourite pursuit of ours, but then minerals
were the objects of our joint study. Mineralogy had been much cultivated
on the Continent by this time, especially in Germany. It had been
established as a science by Werner, who was educated at an institution
near the silver mines of Friburg, where he afterwards lectured on the
properties of crystals, and had many pupils. In one of our tours on the
Continent, Somerville and I went to see these silver mines and bought
some specimens for our cabinet. The French took up the subject with
great zeal, and the Abbe Hauey's work became a standard book on the
science. Cabinets of minerals had been established in the principal
cities of Great Britain, professors were appointed in the Universities,
and collections of minerals were not uncommon in private houses. While
quite a girl, I went with my parents to visit the Fergusons of Raith,
near Kirkcaldy, and there I saw a magnificent collection of minerals,
made by their son while abroad. It contained gems of great value and
crystallized specimens of precious and other metals, which surprised and
interested me; but seeing that such valuable things could never be
obtained by me, I thought no more about them. In those early days I had
every difficulty to contend with; now, through the kindness and liberal
opinions of my husband, I had every encouragement. He took up the study
of mineralogy with zeal, and I heartily joined with him. We made the
acquaintance of Professor Jameson, a pupil of Werner's, whose work on
mineralogy was of great use to us. We began to form a cabinet of
minerals, which, although small, were good of their kind. We were
criticized for extravagance, and, no doubt I had the lion's share of
blame; but more of minerals hereafter.

* * * * *

Abbotsford is only twelve miles distant from Jedburgh, and my
father-in-law, Dr. Somerville, and Sir Walter Scott had been intimate
friends for many years, indeed through life. The house at Abbotsford was
at first a mere cottage, on the banks of the Tweed; my brother-in-law,
Samuel, had a villa adjacent to it, and John, Lord Somerville, had a
hou