me (A.  Malkin and Lewis), one on each side, were carried out:  they were good swimmers and we recovered them, though with some trouble:  the breaker had passed quite over my head:  we gained the shore and the boat was taken home by land.  When our own boat was finished, we had some most picturesque adventures at the Mumbles, Aberavon, Caswell Bay, Ilfracombe, and Tenby.  From all this I learnt navigation pretty well.  The mixture of hard study and open-air exertion seemed to affect the health of several of us (I was one):  we were covered with painful boils.

“My Latin-writing began again on July 25th:  I have notes on Demosthenes, Lucretius, and Greek History.  In mathematics I find Chances, Figure of the Earth with variable density, Differential Equations, Partial Differentials, sketch for an instrument for shewing refraction, and Optical instruments with effects of chromatic aberration.  In August there occurred an absurd quarrel between the Fellows of Trinity and the undergraduates, on the occasion of commencing the building of King’s Court, when the undergraduates were not invited to wine, and absented themselves from the hall.

“There were vacant this year (1823) five fellowships in Trinity College.  In general, the B.A.’s of the first year are not allowed to sit for fellowships:  but this year it was thought so probable that permission would be given, that on Sept. 2nd Mr Higman, then appointed as Tutor to a third ‘side’ of the College, wrote to me to engage me as Assistant Mathematical Tutor in the event of my being elected a Fellow on Oct. 1st, and I provisionally engaged myself.  About the same time I had written to Mr Peacock, who recommended me to sit, and to Mr Whewell, who after consultation with the Master (Dr Wordsworth), discouraged it.  As there was no absolute prohibition, I left Swansea on Sept. 11th (before my engagement to my pupils was quite finished) and returned to Cambridge by Gloucester, Oxford, and London.  I gave in my name at the butteries as candidate for fellowship, but was informed in a day or two that I should not be allowed to sit.  On Sept. 19th I walked to Bury.

“I walked back to Cambridge on Oct. 17th, 1823.  During this October term I had four pupils:  Neate, Cankrein, Turner (afterwards 2nd wrangler and Treasurer of Guy’s Hospital), and William Hervey (son of the Marquis of Bristol).  In the Lent term I had four (Neate, Cankrein, Turner, Clinton).  In the Easter term I had three (Neate, Cankrein, Turner).

“My daily writing of Latin commenced on Oct. 27th.  In November I began re-reading Sophocles with my usual care.  In mathematics I find investigations of Motion in a resisting medium, Form of Saturn, Draft of a Paper about an instrument for exhibiting the fundamental law of refraction (read at the Philosophical Society by Mr Peacock on Nov. 10th, 1823), Optics, Solid Geometry, Figure of the Earth with variable density, and much about attractions.  I also in this term wrote a MS. on the Calculus of Variations, and one on Wood’s Algebra, 2nd and 4th parts.  I have also notes of the temperature of mines in Cornwall, something on the light of oil-gas, and reminiscences of Swansea in a view of Oswick Bay.  In November I attended Professor Sedgwick’s geological lectures.