TO MISS CAY.

                                                                       129 Union Street, Aberdeen,
                                                                               27th February 1857.

     You are right about my being two letters in debt to you. I proceed to "post you up" to the most recent epoch. The    weather is mild and sunny, but the winter has been severe. The planets Jupiter and Venus have been neighbours;  Saturn, Mars, and Mercury also visible.

     To descend to particulars. I find everything going on very smoothly. I never passed an equal time with less trouble.   I have plenty of work but no vexation as yet. In fact, I am beginning to fear that I must get into some scrape just to   put an end to my complacency.

     I will begin with the College. We are having public meetings and caucuses (that is, the students are) for the election   of Lord Rector. Lord Stanley won't come. Lord Elgin is doubtful. They seem to prefer Elgin to Layard. We are to  have a commission consisting of Col. Mure, Cosmo Innes, and Stirling of Keir.

     To-morrow I hold my second general examination on the subject we have done. I hope that my men of science   won't have their heads turned with politics. I have all the squibs regularly presented to me. They are not very  good.

     I have had 13 special examinations, and the two last have been the best answered of any. I send you my paper for   to-morrow to give it to Bob Campbell with my profoundest esteem.

     We have been at the theory of Heat and the Steam Engine this month, and on Monday we begin Optics. I have a   volunteer class who have been thro' astronomy, and we are now at high Optics. Tuesday week I give a lecture to    operatives, etc., on the Eye. I have just been getting cods' and bullocks' eyes, to refresh my memory and practice    dissection. The size of the cod and the ox eye is nearly the same. As this was our last day of fluids, I finished off
     with a splendid fountain in the sunlight. We were not very wet.

  Out of College I have made the most of my time in seeing the natives. I used to walk every day with Professor    Martin, but he was not well for some time, and we broke that habit. I get on better with people of more decision   and less refinement, because they keep me in better order.

     I have been keeping up friendly relations with the King's College men, and they seem to be very friendly too. I   have not received any rebukes yet from our men for so doing, but I find that the families of some of our professors   have no dealings, and never had, with those of the King's people. Theoretically we profess charity.

     I had a glorious solitary walk to-day in Kincardineshire by the coast—black cliffs and white breakers. I took my   second dip this season. I have found a splendid place, sheltered and safe, with gymnastics on a pole afterwards.