第13章
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  TellProfessorSedgwickhedoesnotknowhowmuchIamindebtedtohimfortheWelshExpedition;ithasgivenmeaninterestinGeologywhichIwouldnotgiveupforanyconsideration。IdonotthinkIeverspentamoredelightfulthreeweeksthanpoundingtheNorth—westMountains。IlookforwardtothegeologyaboutMonteVideoasIhearthereareslatesthere,soIpresumeinthatdistrictIshallfindthejunctionsofthePampas,andtheenormousgraniteformationofBrazils。AtBahiathepegmatiteandgneissinbedshadthesamedirection,asobservedbyHumboldt,prevailingoverColumbia,distant1300miles——isitnotwonderful?MonteVideowillbeforalongtimemydirection。Ihopeyouwillwriteagaintome,thereisnobodyfromwhomIlikereceivingadvicesomuchasfromyou……Excusethisalmostunintelligibleletter,andbelieveme,mydearHenslow,withthewarmestfeelingsofrespectandfriendship,Yoursaffectionately,CHAS。DARWIN。

  CHARLESDARWINTOJ。M。HERBERT。

  BotofogoBay,RiodeJaneiro,June1832。

  MydearoldHerbert,YourletterarrivedherewhenIhadgivenupallhopesofreceivinganother,itgaveme,therefore,anadditionaldegreeofpleasure。Atsuchanintervaloftimeandspaceonedoeslearntofeeltrulyobligedtothosewhodonotforgetone。Thememorywhenrecallingscenespastby,affordstousEXILESoneofthegreatestpleasures。OftenandoftenwhilstwanderingamongstthesehillsdoIthinkofBarmouth,and,Imayadd,asoftenwishforsuchacompanion。Whatacontrastdoesawalkinthesetwoplacesafford;hereabruptandstonypeaksaretotheverysummitenclosedbyluxuriantwoods;thewholesurfaceofthecountry,exceptingwhereclearedbyman,isoneimpenetrableforest。HowdifferentfromWales,withitsslopinghillscoveredwithturf,anditsopenvalleys。Iwasnotpreviouslyawarehowintimatelywhatmaybecalledthemoralpartisconnectedwiththeenjoymentofscenery。Imeansuchideas,asthehistoryofthecountry,theutilityoftheproduce,andmoreespeciallythehappinessofthepeoplelivingwiththem。ChangetheEnglishlabourerintoapoorslave,workingforanother,andyouwillhardlyrecognisethesameview。Iamsureyouwillbegladtohearhowverywelleverypart(Heavenforefend,exceptsea—sickness)oftheexpeditionhasanswered。WehavealreadyseenTeneriffeandtheGreatCanary;St。JagowhereIspentthreemostdelightfulweeks,revellinginthedelightsoffirstnaturalisingatropicalvolcanicisland,andbesidesotherislands,thetwocelebratedportsintheBrazils,viz。BahiaandRio。

  IwasinmyhammocktillwearrivedattheCanaries,andIshallneverforgetthesublimeimpressionthefirstviewofTeneriffemadeonmymind。

  Thefirstarrivingintowarmweatherwasmostluxuriouslypleasant;theclearblueskyoftheTropicswasnocommonchangeafterthoseaccursedsouth—westgalesatPlymouth。AbouttheLineitbecamewelteringhot。WespentonedayatSt。Paul’s,alittlegroupofrocksaboutaquarterofamileincircumference,peepingupinthemidstoftheAtlantic。Therewassuchascenehere。Wickham(1stLieutenant)andIweretheonlytwowholandedwithgunsandgeologicalhammers,etc。Thebirdsbymyriadsweretooclosetoshoot;wethentriedstones,butatlast,prohpudor!mygeologicalhammerwastheinstrumentofdeath。Wesoonloadedtheboatwithbirdsandeggs。Whilstweweresoengaged,themenintheboatwerefairlyfightingwiththesharksforsuchmagnificentfishasyoucouldnotseeintheLondonmarket。OurboatwouldhavemadeafinesubjectforSnyders,suchamedleyofgameitcontained。Wehavebeenheretenweeks,andshallnowstartforMonteVideo,whenIlookforwardtomanyagallopoverthePampas。Iamashamedofsendingsuchascramblingletter,butifyouweretoseetheheapoflettersonmytableyouwouldunderstandthereason……

  IamgladtohearmusicflourishessowellinCambridge;butit[is]asbarbaroustotalktomeof\"celestialconcerts\"astoapersoninArabiaofcoldwater。Inavoyageofthissort,ifonegainsmanynewandgreatpleasures,ontheothersidethelossisnotinconsiderable。Howshouldyouliketobesuddenlydebarredfromseeingeverypersonandplace,whichyouhaveeverknownandloved,forfiveyears?IdoassureyouIamoccasionally\"takenaback\"bythisreflection;andthenformanorshipitisnotsoeasytorightagain。RemembermemostsincerelytotheremnantofmostexcellentfellowswhomIhavethegoodlucktoknowinCambridge——I

  meanWhitleyandWatkins。TellLoweIamevenbeneathhiscontempt。Icaneatsaltbeefandmustybiscuitsfordinner。Seewhatafallmanmaycometo!

  MydirectionforthenextyearandahalfwillbeMonteVideo。

  Godblessyou,myverydearoldHerbert。Mayyoualwaysbehappyandprosperousismymostcordialwish。

  Yoursaffectionately,CHAS。DARWIN。

  CHARLESDARWINTOF。WATKINS。

  MonteVideo,RiverPlata,August18,1832。

  MydearWatkins,Idonotfeelverysureyouwillthinkaletterfromonesofardistantwillbeworthhaving;Iwritethereforeontheselfishprincipleofgettingananswer。InthedifferentcountrieswevisittheentirenewnessanddifferencefromEnglandonlyservestomakemorekeentherecollectionofitsscenesanddelights。Inconsequencethepleasureofthinkingof,andhearingfromone’sformerfriends,doesindeedbecomegreat。Recollectthis,andsomelongwinter’seveningsitdownandsendmealongaccountofyourselfandourfriends;bothwhatyouhave,andwhat[you]intenddoing;

  otherwiseinthreeorfourmoreyearswhenIreturnyouwillbeallstrangerstome。Consideringhowmanymonthshavepassed,wehavenotinthe\"Beagle\"mademuchwayroundtheworld。Hithertoeverythinghaswellrepaidthenecessarytroubleandlossofcomfort。WestayedthreeweeksattheCapedeVerds;itwasnoordinarypleasureramblingovertheplainsoflavaunderatropicalsun,butwhenIfirstenteredonandbeheldtheluxuriantvegetationinBrazil,itwasrealizingthevisionsinthe’ArabianNights。’Thebrilliancyofthescenerythrowsoneintoadeliriumofdelight,andabeetlehunterisnotlikelysoontoawakenfromit,whenwhicheverwayheturnsfreshtreasuresmeethiseye。AtRiodeJaneirothreemonthspassedawaylikesomanyweeks。Imadeamostdelightfulexcursionduringthistimeof150milesintothecountry。Istayedatanestatewhichisthelastoftheclearedground,behindisonevastimpenetrableforest。Itisalmostimpossibletoimaginethequietudeofsuchalife。Notahumanbeingwithinsomemilesinterruptsthesolitude。

  Toseatoneselfamidstthegloomofsuchaforestonadecayingtrunk,andthenthinkofhome,isapleasureworthtakingsometroublefor。

  Weareatpresentinamuchlessinterestingcountry。Onesinglewalkovertheundulatoryturfplainshowseverythingwhichistobeseen。ItisnotatallunlikeCambridgeshire,onlythateveryhedge,treeandhillmustbeleveled,andarablelandturnedintopasture。AllSouthAmericaisinsuchanunsettledstatethatwehavenotenteredoneportwithoutsomesortofdisturbance。AtBuenosAyresashotcamewhistlingoverourheads;itisanoiseIhadneverbeforeheard,butIfoundIhadaninstinctiveknowledgeofwhatitmeant。Theotherdaywelandedourmenhere,andtookpossession,attherequestoftheinhabitants,ofthecentralfort。Wephilosophersdonotbargainforthissortofwork,andIhopetherewillbenomore。WesailinthecourseofadayortwotosurveythecoastofPatagonia;asitisentirelyunknown,Iexpectagooddealofinterest。

  ButalreadydoIperceivethegrievousdifferencebetweensailingontheseseasandtheEquinoctialocean。Inthe\"Ladies’Gulf,\"astheSpaniard’scallit,itissoluxurioustositondeckandenjoythecoolnessofthenight,andadmirethenewconstellationsoftheSouth……Iwonderwhenweshallevermeetagain;butbeitwhenitmay,fewthingswillgivemegreaterpleasurethantoseeyouagain,andtalkoverthelongtimewehavepassedtogether。

  IfyouweretomeetmeatpresentIcertainlyshouldbelookedatlikeawildbeast,agreatgrizzlybeardandflushingjacketwoulddisfigureanangel。Believeme,mydearWatkins,withthewarmestfeelingsoffriendship。

  Everyours,CHARLESDARWIN。

  CHARLESDARWINTOJ。S。HENSLOW。

  April11,1833。

  MydearHenslow,WearenowrunningupfromtheFalklandIslandstotheRioNegro(orColorado)。The\"Beagle\"willproceedtoMonteVideo;butifitcanbemanagedIintendstayingattheformerplace。Itisnowsomemonthssincewehavebeenatacivilisedport;nearlyallthistimehasbeenspentinthemostsouthernpartofTierradelFuego。Itisadetestableplace;

  galessucceedgaleswithsuchshortintervalsthatitisdifficulttodoanything。Weweretwenty—threedaysoffCapeHorn,andcouldbynomeansgettothewestward。Thelastandfinalgalebeforewegaveuptheattemptwasunusuallysevere。Aseastoveoneoftheboats,andtherewassomuchwateronthedecksthateveryplacewasafloat;nearlyallthepaperfordryingplantsisspoiled,andhalfofthiscuriouscollection。

  Weatlastranintoharbour,andintheboatsgottothewestbytheinlandchannels。AsIwasoneofthispartyIwasverygladofit。Withtwoboatswewentabout300miles,andthusIhadanexcellentopportunityofgeologisingandseeingmuchofthesavages。TheFuegiansareinamoremiserablestateofbarbarismthanIhadexpectedevertohaveseenahumanbeing。Inthisinclementcountrytheyareabsolutelynaked,andtheirtemporaryhousesarelikewhatchildrenmakeinsummerwithboughsoftrees。Idonotthinkanyspectaclecanbemoreinterestingthanthefirstsightofmaninhisprimitivewildness。Itisaninterestwhichcannotwellbeimagineduntilitisexperienced。IshallneverforgetthiswhenenteringGoodSuccessBay——theyellwithwhichapartyreceivedus。Theywereseatedonarockypoint,surroundedbythedarkforestofbeech;astheythrewtheirarmswildlyroundtheirheads,andtheirlonghairstreaming,theyseemedthetroubledspiritsofanotherworld。Theclimateinsomerespectsisacuriousmixtureofseverityandmildness;asfarasregardstheanimalkingdom,theformercharacterprevails;Ihaveinconsequencenotaddedmuchtomycollections。

  TheGeologyofthispartofTierradelFuegowas,asindeedeveryplaceis,tomeveryinteresting。Thecountryisnon—fossiliferous,andacommon—

  placesuccessionofgraniticrocksandslates;attemptingtomakeouttherelationofcleavage,strata,etc。,etc。,wasmychiefamusement。Themineralogy,however,ofsomeoftherockswill,Ithink,becuriousfromtheirresemblancetothoseofvolcanicorigin……

  AfterleavingTierradelFuegowesailedtotheFalklands。IforgottomentionthefateoftheFuegianswhomwetookbacktotheircountry。TheyhadbecomeentirelyEuropeanintheirhabitsandwishes,somuchsothattheyoungeronehadforgottenhisownlanguage,andtheircountrymenpaidbutverylittleattentiontothem。Webuilthousesforthemandplantedgardens,butbythetimewereturnagainonourpassageroundtheHorn,I

  thinkitwillbeverydoubtfulhowmuchoftheirpropertywillbeleftunstolen……WhenIamsea—sickandmiserable,itisoneofmyhighestconsolationstopicturethefuturewhenweagainshallbepacingtogethertheroadsroundCambridge。Thatdayisawearylongwayoff。WehaveanothercruisetomaketoTierradelFuegonextsummer,andthenourvoyageroundtheworldwillreallycommence。CaptainFitz—Royhaspurchasedalargeschoonerof170tons。Inmanyrespectsitwillbeagreatadvantagehavingaconsort——perhapsitmaysomewhatshortenourcruise,whichImostcordiallyhopeitmay。Itrust,however,thattheCoralReefsandvariousanimalsofthePacificmaykeepupmyresolution。RemembermemostkindlytoMrs。Henslowandallotherfriends;IamatrueloverofAlmaMaterandallitsinhabitants。

  Believeme,mydearHenslow,Youraffectionateandmostobligedfriend,CHARLESDARWIN。

  CHARLESDARWINTOMISSC。DARWIN。

  Maldonado,RioPlata,May22,1833……Thefollowingbusinesspieceistomyfather。Havingaservantofmyownwouldbeareallygreatadditiontomycomfort。Forthesetworeasons:

  asatpresenttheCaptainhasappointedoneofthemenalwaystobewithme,butIdonotthinkitjustthustotakeaseamanoutoftheship;and,secondly,whenatseaIamratherbadlyoffforanyonetowaitonme。Themaniswillingtobemyservant,andalltheexpenseswouldbeunder60

  poundsperannum。Ihavetaughthimtoshootandskinbirds,sothatinmymainobjectheisveryuseful。IhavenowleftEnglandnearlyayearandahalf,andIfindmyexpensesarenotabove200poundsperannum;sothat,itbeinghopeless(fromtime)towriteforpermission,Ihavecometotheconclusionthatyouwouldallowmethisexpense。ButIhavenotyetresolvedtoasktheCaptain,andthechancesareeventhathewouldnotbewillingtohaveanadditionalmanintheship。IhavementionedthisbecauseforalongtimeIhavebeenthinkingaboutit。

  JUNE。

  Ihavejustreceivedabundlemoreletters。Idonotknowhowtothankyouallsufficiently。OnefromCatherine,February8th,anotherfromSusan,March3rd,togetherwithnotesfromCarolineandfrommyfather;givemybestlovetomyfather。Ialmostcriedforpleasureatreceivingit;itwasverykindthinkingofwritingtome。Mylettersarebothfew,short,andstupidinreturnforallyours;butIalwayseasemyconsciencebyconsideringtheJournalasalongletter。IfIcanmanageit,Iwill,beforedoublingtheHorn,sendtherest。IamquitedelightedtofindthehideoftheMegatheriumhasgivenyouallsomelittleinterestinmyemployments。Thesefragmentsarenot,however,byanymeansthemostvaluableofthegeologicalrelics。Itrustandbelievethatthetimespentinthisvoyage,ifthrownawayforallotherrespects,willproduceitsfullworthinNaturalHistory;anditappearstomethedoingwhatLITTLE

  wecantoincreasethegeneralstockofknowledgeisasrespectableanobjectoflifeasonecaninanylikelihoodpursue。Itismoretheresultofsuchreflections(asIhavealreadysaid)thanmuchimmediatepleasurewhichnowmakesmecontinuethevoyage,togetherwiththegloriousprospectofthefuture,whenpassingtheStraitsofMagellan,wehaveintruththeworldbeforeus。ThinkoftheAndes,theluxuriantforestofGuayaquil,theislandsoftheSouthSea,andNewSouthWales。Howmanymagnificentandcharacteristicviews,howmanyandcurioustribesofmenweshallsee!

  Whatfineopportunitiesforgeologyandforstudyingtheinfinitehostoflivingbeings!Isnotthisaprospecttokeepupthemostflaggingspirit?

  IfIwastothrowitaway,Idon’tthinkIshouldeverrestquietinmygrave。IcertainlyshouldbeaghostandhaunttheBritishMuseum。

  HowfamouslytheMinistersappeartobegoingon。Ialwaysmuchenjoypoliticalgossipandwhatyouathomethinkwill,etc。,etc。,takeplace。

  Isteadilyreaduptheweeklypaper,butitisnotsufficienttoguideone’sopinion;andIfinditaverypainfulstatenottobeasobstinateasapiginpolitics。Ihavewatchedhowsteadilythegeneralfeeling,asshownatelections,hasbeenrisingagainstSlavery。WhataproudthingforEnglandifsheisthefirstEuropeannationwhichutterlyabolishesit!

  IwastoldbeforeleavingEnglandthatafterlivinginslavecountriesallmyopinionswouldbealtered;theonlyalterationIamawareofisformingamuchhigherestimateofthenegrocharacter。Itisimpossibletoseeanegroandnotfeelkindlytowardshim;suchcheerful,open,honestexpressionsandsuchfinemuscularbodies。IneversawanyofthediminutivePortuguese,withtheirmurderouscountenances,withoutalmostwishingforBraziltofollowtheexampleofHayti;and,consideringtheenormoushealthy—lookingblackpopulation,itwillbewonderfulif,atsomefutureday,itdoesnottakeplace。ThereisatRioaman(Iknownothistitle)whohasalargesalarytoprevent(Ibelieve)thelandingofslaves;

  helivesatBotofogo,andyetthatwasthebaywhere,duringmyresidence,thegreaternumberofsmuggledslaveswerelanded。SomeoftheAnti—

  Slaverypeopleoughttoquestionabouthisoffice;itwasthesubjectofconversationatRioamongstthelowerEnglish……

  CHARLESDARWINTOJ。M。HERBERT。

  Maldonado,RioPlata,June2,1833。

  MydearHerbert,Ihavebeenconfinedforthelastthreedaystoamiserabledarkroom,inanoldSpanishhouse,fromthetorrentsofrain;Iamnot,therefore,inverygoodtrimforwriting;but,defyingthebluedevils,Iwillsendyouafewlines,ifitismerelytothankyouverysincerelyforwritingtome。

  Ireceivedyourletter,datedDecember1st,ashorttimesince。WearenowpassingpartofthewinterintheRioPlata,afterhavinghadahardsummer’sworktothesouth。TierradelFuegoisindeedamiserableplace;

  theceaselessfuryofthegalesisquitetremendous。OneeveningwesawoldCapeHorn,andthreeweeksafterwardswewereonlythirtymilestowindwardofit。Itisagrandspectacletoseeallnaturethusraging;butHeavenknowseveryoneinthe\"Beagle\"hasseenenoughinthisonesummertolastthemtheirnaturallives。

  ThefirstplacewelandedatwasGoodSuccessBay。ItwashereBanksandSolandermetsuchdisastersonascendingoneofthemountains。Theweatherwastolerablyfine,andIenjoyedsomewalksinawildcountry,likethatbehindBarmouth。Thevalleysareimpenetrablefromtheentangledwoods,butthehigherparts,nearthelimitsofperpetualsnow,arebare。Fromsomeofthesehillsthescenery,fromitssavage,solitarycharacter,wasmostsublime。Theonlyinhabitantoftheseheightsistheguanaco,andwithitsshrillneighingitoftenbreaksthestillness。TheconsciousnessthatnoEuropeanfoothadevertrodmuchofthisgroundaddedtothedelightoftheserambles。HowoftenandhowvividlyhavemanyofthehoursspentatBarmouthcomebeforemymind!Ilookbacktothattimewithnocommonpleasure;atthismomentIcanseeyouseatedonthehillbehindtheinn,almostasplainlyasifyouwerereallythere。Itisnecessarytobeseparatedfromallwhichonehasbeenaccustomedto,toknowhowproperlytotreasureupsuchrecollections,andatthisdistance,Imayadd,howproperlytoesteemsuchasyourself,mydearoldHerbert。IwonderwhenI

  shalleverseeyouagain。Ihopeitmaybe,asyousay,surroundedwithheapsofparchment;butthentheremustbe,soonerorlater,adearlittleladytotakecareofyouandyourhouse。Suchadelightfulvisionmakesmequiteenvious。Thisisacuriouslifeforaregularshore—goingpersonsuchasmyself;theworstpartofitisitsextremelength。Thereiscertainlyagreatdealofhighenjoyment,andonthecontraryatolerableshareofvexationofspirit。Everything,however,shallbendtothepleasureofgrubbingupoldbones,andcaptivatingnewanimals。Bytheway,yourankmyNaturalHistorylaboursfartoohigh。Iamnothingmorethanalions’provider:Idonotfeelatallsurethattheywillnotgrowlandfinallydestroyme。

  Itdoesone’sheartgoodtohearhowthingsaregoingoninEngland。

  HurrahforthehonestWhigs!Itrusttheywillsoonattackthatmonstrousstainonourboastedliberty,ColonialSlavery。IhaveseenenoughofSlaveryandthedispositionsofthenegroes,tobethoroughlydisgustedwiththeliesandnonsenseonehearsonthesubjectinEngland。ThankGod,thecold—heartedTories,who,asJ。Mackintoshusedtosay,havenoenthusiasm,exceptagainstenthusiasm,haveforthepresentruntheirrace。

  Iamsorry,byyourletter,tohearyouhavenotbeenwell,andthatyoupartlyattributeittowantofexercise。Iwishyouwerehereamongstthegreenplains;wewouldtakewalkswhichwouldrivaltheDolgellyones,andyoushouldtellstories,whichIwouldbelieve,eventoaCUBICFATHOMOF

  PUDDING。InsteadImusttakemysolitaryramble,thinkofCambridgedays,andpickupsnakes,beetlesandtoads。Excusethisshortletter(youknowIneverstudied’TheCompleteLetter—writer’),andbelieveme,mydearHerbert,Youraffectionatefriend,CHARLESDARWIN。

  CHARLESDARWINTOJ。S。HENSLOW。

  EastFalklandIsland,March,1834……IamquitecharmedwithGeology,butlikethewiseanimalbetweentwobundlesofhay,Idonotknowwhichtolikethebest;theoldcrystallinegroupofrocks,orthesofterandfossiliferousbeds。Whenpuzzlingaboutstratifications,etc。,Ifeelinclinedtocry\"afigforyourbigoysters,andyourbiggermegatheriums。\"Butthenwhendiggingoutsomefinebones,Iwonderhowanymancantirehisarmswithhammeringgranite。BythewayIhavenotoneclearideaaboutcleavage,stratification,linesofupheaval。Ihavenobookswhichtellmemuch,andwhattheydoIcannotapplytowhatIsee。InconsequenceIdrawmyownconclusions,andmostgloriouslyridiculousonestheyare,Isometimesfancy……Canyouthrowanylightintomymindbytellingmewhatrelationcleavageandplanesofdepositionbeartoeachother?

  AndnowformysecondSECTION,Zoology。IhavechieflybeenemployedinpreparingmyselffortheSouthSeabyexaminingthepolypiofthesmallerCorallinesintheselatitudes。Manyinthemselvesareverycurious,andI

  thinkarequiteundescribed;therewasoneappallingone,alliedtoaFlustra,whichIdaresayImentionedhavingfoundtothenorthward,wherethecellshaveamovableorgan(likeavulture’shead,withadilatablebeak),fixedontheedge。Butwhatisofmoregeneralinterestistheunquestionable(asitappearstome)existenceofanotherspeciesofostrich,besidestheStruthiorhea。AlltheGauchosandIndiansstateitisthecase,andIplacethegreatestfaithintheirobservations。Ihavethehead,neck,pieceofskin,feathers,andlegsofone。Thedifferencesarechieflyinthecolourofthefeathersandscalesonlegs,beingfeatheredbelowtheknees,nidification,andgeographicaldistribution。SomuchforwhatIhavelatelydone;theprospectbeforemeisfullofsunshine,fineweather,gloriousscenery,thegeologyoftheAndes,plainsaboundingwithorganicremains(whichperhapsImayhavethegoodlucktocatchintheveryactofmoving),andlastly,anocean,itsshoresaboundingwithlife,sothat,ifnothingunforeseenhappens,Iwillsticktothevoyage,althoughforwhatIcanseethismaylasttillwereturnafinesetofwhite—headedoldgentlemen。Ihavetothankyoumostcordiallyforsendingmethebooks。IamnowreadingtheOxford’Report’(ThesecondmeetingoftheBritishAssociationwasheldatOxfordin1832,thefollowingyearitwasatCambridge。);thewholeaccountofyourproceedingsismostglorious;youremaininginEnglandcannotwellimaginehowexcessivelyinterestingIfindthereports。Iamsurefrommyownthrillingsensationswhenreadingthem,thattheycannotfailtohaveanexcellenteffectuponallthoseresidingindistantcolonies,andwhohavelittleopportunityofseeingtheperiodicals。Myhammerhasflownwithredoubledforceonthedevotedblocks;asIthoughtovertheeloquenceoftheCambridgePresident,Ihitharderandharderblows。IhopetogivemyarmsstrengthfortheCordilleras。YouwillsendmethroughCapt。BeaufortacopyoftheCambridge’Report。’

  Ihaveforgottentomentionthatforsometimepast,andforthefuture,I

  willputapencilcrossonthepill—boxescontaininginsects,asthesealonewillrequirebeingkeptparticularlydry;itmayperhapssaveyousometrouble。WhenthisletterwillgoIdonotknow,asthislittleseatofdiscordhaslatelybeenembroiledbyadreadfulsceneofmurder,andatpresenttherearemoreprisonersthaninhabitants。IfamerchantvesselischarteredtotakethemtoRio,Iwillsendsomespecimens(especiallymyfewplantsandseeds)。RemembermetoallmyCambridgefriends。IloveandtreasureupeveryrecollectionofdearoldCambridge。IammuchobligedtoyouforputtingmynamedowntopoorRamsay’smonument;Ineverthinkofhimwithoutthewarmestadmiration。Farewell,mydearHenslow。

  Believemeyourmostobligedandaffectionatefriend,CHARLESDARWIN。

  CHARLESDARWINTOMISSC。DARWIN。

  EastFalklandIsland,April6,1834。

  MydearCatherine,WhenthisletterwillreachyouIknownot,butprobablysomeman—of—warwillcallherebefore,inthecommoncourseofevents,Ishouldhaveanotheropportunityofwriting……

  Aftervisitingsomeofthesouthernislands,webeatupthroughthemagnificentsceneryoftheBeagleChanneltoJemmyButton’scountry。

  (JemmyButton,YorkMinster,andFuegiaBasket,werenativesofTierradelFuego,broughttoEnglandbyCaptainFitz—Royinhisformervoyage,andrestoredtotheircountrybyhimin1832。)WecouldhardlyrecognisepoorJemmy。Insteadoftheclean,well—dressedstoutladwelefthim,wefoundhimanaked,thin,squalidsavage。YorkandFuegiahadmovedtotheirowncountrysomemonthsago,theformerhavingstolenallJemmy’sclothes。Nowhehadnothingexceptabitofblanketroundhiswaist。PoorJemmywasverygladtoseeus,and,withhisusualgoodfeeling,broughtseveralpresents(otter—skins,whicharemostvaluabletothemselves)forhisoldfriends。TheCaptainofferedtotakehimtoEngland,butthis,tooursurprise,heatoncerefused。Intheeveninghisyoungwifecamealongsideandshowedusthereason。Hewasquitecontented。Lastyear,intheheightofhisindignation,hesaid\"hiscountrypeoplenosabenothing——

  damnedfools\"——nowtheywereverygoodpeople,withTOOmuchtoeat,andalltheluxuriesoflife。Jemmyandhiswifepaddledawayintheircanoeloadedwithpresents,andveryhappy。Themostcuriousthingis,thatJemmy,insteadofrecoveringhisownlanguage,hastaughtallhisfriendsalittleEnglish。\"J。Button’scanoe\"and\"Jemmy’swifecome,\"\"Givemeknife,\"etc。,wassaidbyseveralofthem。

  Wethenboreawayforthisisland——thislittlemiserableseatofdiscord。

  WefoundthattheGauchos,underpretenceofarevolution,hadmurderedandplunderedalltheEnglishmenwhomtheycouldcatch,andsomeoftheirowncountrymen。AlltheeconomyathomemakestheforeignmovementsofEnglandmostcontemptible。HowdifferentfromoldSpain。Herewe,dog—in—the—

  mangerfashion,seizeanisland,andleavetoprotectitaUnionJack;thepossessorhas,ofcourse,beenmurdered;wenowsendalieutenantwithfoursailors,withoutauthorityorinstructions。Aman—of—war,however,venturedtoleaveapartyofmarines,andbytheirassistance,andthetreacheryofsomeoftheparty,themurderershaveallbeentaken,therebeingnowasmanyprisonersasinhabitants。Thisislandmustsomedaybecomeaveryimportanthalting—placeinthemostturbulentseaintheworld。Itismid—waybetweenAustraliaandtheSouthSeatoEngland;

  betweenChili,Peru,etc。,andtheRioPlataandtheRiodeJaneiro。Therearefineharbours,plentyoffreshwater,andgoodbeef。Itwoulddoubtlessproducethecoarservegetables。Inotherrespectsitisawretchedplace。Alittletimesince,Irodeacrosstheisland,andreturnedinfourdays。Myexcursionwouldhavebeenlonger,butduringthewholetimeitblewagaleofwind,withhailandsnow。Thereisnofirewoodbiggerthanheath,andthewholecountryis,moreorlessanelasticpeat—bog。SleepingoutatnightwastoomiserableworktoendureitforalltherocksinSouthAmerica。

  Weshallleavethissceneofiniquityintwoorthreedays,andgototheRiodelaSta。Cruz。Oneoftheobjectsistolookattheship’sbottom。

  WestruckheavilyonanunknownrockoffPortDesire,andsomeofhercopperistornoff。AfterthisisrepairedtheCaptainhasagloriousscheme;itistogototheveryheadofthisriver,thatisprobablytotheAndes。Itisquiteunknown;theIndianstellusitistwoorthreehundredyardsbroad,andhorsescannowherefordit。Icannotimagineanythingmoreinteresting。OurplansthenaretogotoFortFamine,andtherewemeetthe\"Adventure\",whoisemployedinmakingtheChartoftheFalklands。

  Thiswillbeinthemiddleofwinter,soIshallseeTierradelFuegoinherwhitedrapery。WeleavethestraitstoenterthePacificbytheBarbaraChannel,oneverylittleknown,andwhichpassesclosetothefootofMountSarmiento(thehighestmountaininthesouth,exceptingMt。!!

  Darwin!!)。WethenshallscudawayforConcepcioninChili。Ibelievetheshipmustonceagainsteersouthward,butifanyonecatchesmethereagain,Iwillgivehimleavetohangmeupasascarecrowforallfuturenaturalists。IlongtobeatworkintheCordilleras,thegeologyofthisside,whichIunderstandprettywellissointimatelyconnectedwithperiodsofviolenceinthatgreatchainofmountains。Thefutureis,indeed,tomeabrilliantprospect。Yousayitsverybrilliancyfrightensyou;butreallyIamverycareful;Imaymentionasaproof,inallmyramblesIhaveneverhadanyoneaccidentorscrape……Continueinyourgoodcustomofwritingplentyofgossip;Imuchlikehearingallaboutallthings。RemembermemostkindlytoUncleJos,andtoalltheWedgwoods。

  TellCharlotte(theirmarriednamessounddownrightunnatural)Ishouldliketohavewrittentoher,tohavetoldherhowwelleverythingisgoingon;butitwouldonlyhavebeenatranscriptofthisletter,andIhaveahostofanimalsatthisminutesurroundingmewhichallrequireembalmingandnumbering。IhavenotforgottenthecomfortIreceivedthatdayatMaer,whenmymindwaslikeaswingingpendulum。Givemybestlovetomyfather。Ihopehewillforgiveallmyextravagance,butnotasaChristian,forthenIsupposehewouldsendmenomoremoney。

  Good—bye,dear,toyou,andallyourgoodlysisterhood。

  Youraffectionatebrother,CHAS。DARWIN。

  MylovetoNancy(Hisoldnurse。);tellher,ifshewasnowtoseemewithmygreatbeard,shewouldthinkIwassomeworthySolomon,cometosellthetrinkets。

  CHARLESDARWINTOC。WHITLEY。

  Valparaiso,July23,1834。

  MydearWhitley,Ihavelongintendedwriting,justtoputyouinmindthatthereisacertainhunterofbeetles,andpounderofrocksstillinexistence。WhyI

  havenotdonesobeforeIknownot,butitwillservemerightifyouhavequiteforgottenme。ItisaverylongtimesinceIhaveheardanyCambridgenews;Ineitherknowwhereyouarelivingorwhatyouaredoing。

  Isawyournamedownasoneoftheindefatigableguardiansoftheeighteenhundredphilosophers。Iwasdelightedtoseethis,forwhenwelastleftCambridgeyouwereatsadvariancewithpoorscience;youseemedtothinkherapublicprostituteworkingforpopularity。Ifyouropinionsarethesameasformerly,youwouldagreemostadmirablywithCaptainFitz—Roy,——

  theobjectofhismostdevoutabhorrenceisoneofthed——dscientificWhigs。Ascaptainsofmen—of—wararethegreatestmengoing,fargreaterthankingsorschoolmasters,Iamobligedtotellhimeverythinginmyownfavour。IhaveoftensaidIoncehadaverygoodfriend,anout—and—outTory,andwemanagedtogetonverywelltogether。ButheisverymuchinclinedtodoubtifeverIreallywassomuchhonoured;atpresentwehearscarcelyanythingaboutpolitics;thissavesagreatdealoftrouble,forweallsticktoourformeropinionsrathermoreobstinatelythanbefore,andcangiveratherfewerreasonsfordoingso。

  Idohopeyouwillwritetome:(’H。M。S。\"Beagle\",S。AmericanStation’

  willfindme)。Ishouldmuchliketohearinwhatstateyouarebothinbodyandmind。?QuienSabe?asthepeoplesayhere(andGodknowstheywellmay,fortheydoknowlittleenough),ifyouarenotamarriedman,andmaybenursing,asMissAustensays,littleolivebranches,littlepledgesofmutualaffection。Eheu!Eheu!thisputsmeinmindofformervisionsofglimpsesintofuturity,whereIfanciedIsawretirement,greencottages,andwhitepetticoats。WhatwillbecomeofmehereafterIknownot;Ifeellikearuinedman,whodoesnotseeorcarehowtoextricatehimself。Thatthisvoyagemustcometoaconclusionmyreasontellsme,butotherwiseIseenoendtoit。ItisimpossiblenotbitterlytoregretthefriendsandothersourcesofpleasureoneleavesbehindinEngland;inplaceofitthereismuchsolidenjoyment,somepresent,butmoreinanticipation,whentheideasgainedduringthevoyagecanbecomparedtofreshones。IfindinGeologyanever—failinginterest,asithasbeenremarked,itcreatesthesamegrandideasrespectingthisworldwhichAstronomydoesfortheuniverse。Wehaveseenmuchfinescenery;thatoftheTropicsinitsgloryandluxurianceexceedseventhelanguageofHumboldttodescribe。APersianwritercouldalonedojusticetoit,andifhesucceededhewouldinEnglandbecalledthe’Grandfatherofallliars。’\"

  ButIhaveseennothingwhichmorecompletelyastonishedmethanthefirstsightofasavage。ItwasanakedFuegian,hislonghairblowingabout,hisfacebesmearedwithpaint。ThereisintheircountenancesanexpressionwhichIbelieve,tothosewhohavenotseenit,mustbeinconceivablywild。Standingonarockheutteredtonesandmadegesticulations,thanwhichthecriesofdomesticanimalsarefarmoreintelligible。

  WhenIreturntoEngland,youmusttakemeinhandwithrespecttothefinearts。IyetrecollecttherewasamancalledRaffaelleSanctus。Howdelightfulitwillbeonceagaintosee,intheFitzwilliam,Titian’sVenus。Howmuchmorethandelightfultogotosomegoodconcertorfineopera。Theserecollectionswillnotdo。Ishallnotbeableto—morrowtopickouttheentrailsofsomesmallanimalwithhalfmyusualgusto。PraytellmesomenewsaboutCameron,Watkins,Marindin,thetwoThompsonsofTrinity,Lowe,Heaviside,Matthew。HerbertIhaveheardfrom。HowisHenslowgettingon?andallothergoodfriendsofdearCambridge?OftenandoftendoIthinkoverthosepasthours,somanyofwhichhavebeenpassedinyourcompany。Suchcanneverreturn,buttheirrecollectioncanneverdieaway。

  Godblessyou,mydearWhitley,Believeme,yourmostsincerefriend,CHAS。DARWIN。

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