Volume I Part 18 (1/2)

CHARLES DARWIN TO MISS C DARWIN Maldonado, Rio Plata, May 22, 1833

The following business piece is to reat addition to my comfort For these two reasons: as at present the Captain has appointed one of the men always to be with me, but I do not think it just thus to take a seaman out of the shi+p; and, secondly, when at sea I am rather badly off for any one to wait onto be my servant, and all the expenses would be under 60 pounds per annuht him to shoot and skin birds, so that in land nearly a year and a half, and I find my expenses are not above 200 pounds per annu hopeless (from time) to write for permission, I have come to the conclusion that you would allow me this expense But I have not yet resolved to ask the Captain, and the chances are even that he would not be willing to have an additionalti about it

JUNE

I have just received a bundle more letters I do not kno to thank you all sufficiently One froether with notes froive my best love toit; it was very kind thinking of writing to me My letters are both few, short, and stupid in return for all yours; but I always easeletter If I canthe Horn, send the rest I aiven you all soments are not, however, by any ical relics I trust and believe that the tie, if throay for all other respects, will produce its full worth in Natural History; and it appears to eneral stock of knowledge is as respectable an object of life as one can in any likelihood pursue It is more the result of such reflections (as I have already said) than e, together with the glorious prospect of the future, when passing the Straits of Magellan, we have in truth the world before us

Think of the Andes, the luxuriant forest of Guayaquil, the islands of the South Sea, and New South Wales How nificent and characteristic views, how many and curious tribes of y and for studying the infinite host of living beings! Is not this a prospect to keep up thespirit? If I was to throw it away, I don't think I should ever rest quiet in host and haunt the British Museu on I always ossip and what you at home think will, etc, etc, take place I steadily read up the weekly paper, but it is not sufficient to guide one's opinion; and I find it a very painful state not to be as obstinate as a pig in politics I have watched how steadily the general feeling, as shown at elections, has been rising against Slavery What a proud thing for England if she is the first European nation which utterly abolishes it! I was told before leaving England that after living in slave countries all my opinions would be altered; the only alteration I aro character It is iro and not feel kindly towards him; such cheerful, open, honest expressions and such fine uese, with theirfor Brazil to follow the exa black population, it will be wonderful if, at some future day, it does not take place There is at Rio a e salary to prevent (I believe) the landing of slaves; he lives at Botofogo, and yet that was the bay where, during led slaves were landed Soht to question about his office; it was the subject of conversation at Rio alish

CHARLES DARWIN TO JM HERBERT Maldonado, Rio Plata, June 2, 1833

My dear Herbert,

I have been confined for the last three days to a miserable dark room, in an old Spanish house, froood tri the blue devils, I will send you a few lines, if it isto me I received your letter, dated Dece part of the winter in the Rio Plata, after having had a hard suo is indeed a ales is quite treold Cape Horn, and three weeks afterwards ere only thirty rand spectacle to see all nature thus raging; but Heaven knows every one in the ”Beagle” has seen enough in this one summer to last them their natural lives

The first place we landed at was Good Success Bay It was here Banks and Solanderone of the mountains The weather was tolerably fine, and I enjoyed some walks in a wild country, like that behind Barled woods, but the higher parts, near the limits of perpetual snow, are bare Froe, solitary character, was uanaco, and with its shrill neighing it often breaks the stillness The consciousness that no European foot had ever trod ht of these rambles How often and how vividly have many of the hours spent at Barmouth come before my mind! I look back to that time with no common pleasure; at this moment I can see you seated on the hill behind the inn, almost as plainly as if you were really there It is necessary to be separated from all which one has been accustomed to, to kno properly to treasure up such recollections, and at this distance, I may add, how properly to esteem such as yourself, ain I hope it may be, as you say, surrounded with heaps of parchment; but then there must be, sooner or later, a dear little lady to take care of you and your house Such a delightful vision ular shore-going person such as th There is certainly a great deal of high enjoyment, and on the contrary a tolerable share of vexation of spirit Everything, however, shall bend to the pleasure of grubbing up old bones, and captivating new animals

By the way, you rankmore than a lions' provider: I do not feel at all sure that they will not growl and finally destroy oing on in England

Hurrah for the honest Whigs! I trust they will soon attack that monstrous stain on our boasted liberty, Colonial Slavery I have seen enough of Slavery and the dispositions of the negroes, to be thoroughly disgusted with the lies and nonsense one hears on the subject in England Thank God, the cold-hearted Tories, who, as J Mackintosh used to say, have no enthusiasainst enthusiasm, have for the present run their race I am sorry, by your letter, to hear you have not been well, and that you partly attribute it to want of exercise I wish you were here areen plains; ould take walks which would rival the Dolgelly ones, and you should tell stories, which I would believe, even to a CUBIC FATHOM OF PUDDING Instead I e days, and pick up snakes, beetles and toads Excuse this short letter (you know I never studied 'The Complete Letter-writer'), and believe me, my dear Herbert,

Your affectionate friend, CHARLES DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO JS HENSLOW East Falkland Island, March, 1834

I ay, but like the wise animal between two bundles of hay, I do not knohich to like the best; the old crystalline group of rocks, or the softer and fossiliferous beds When puzzling about stratifications, etc, I feel inclined to cry ”a fig for your big oysters, and your biggerout some fine bones, I wonder how any ranite By the way I have not one clear idea about cleavage, stratification, lines of upheaval I have no books which tell me much, and what they do I cannot apply to what I see In consequence I draw loriously ridiculous ones they are, I soht into e and planes of deposition bear to each other?

And now for y I have chiefly been e the polypi of the smaller Corallines in these latitudes Many in themselves are very curious, and I think are quite undescribed; there was one appalling one, allied to a Flustra, which I dare say Ifound to the northward, where the cells have a an (like a vulture's head, with a dilatable beak), fixed on the edge But what is of eneral interest is the unquestionable (as it appears to me) existence of another species of ostrich, besides the Struthio rhea All the Gauchos and Indians state it is the case, and I place the greatest faith in their observations I have the head, neck, piece of skin, feathers, and legs of one The differences are chiefly in the colour of the feathers and scales on legs, being feathered below the knees, nidification, and geographical distribution So much for what I have lately done; the prospect before lorious scenery, the geology of the Andes, plains abounding with organic reood luck to catch in the very act ofwith life, so that, if nothing unforeseen happens, I will stick to the voyage, although for what I can see this entlethe Oxford 'Report' (The secondof the British association was held at Oxford in 1832, the following year it was at Calorious; you reine how excessively interesting I find the reports I a them, that they cannot fail to have an excellent effect upon all those residing in distant colonies, and who have little opportunity of seeing the periodicals My hammer has floith redoubled force on the devoted blocks; as I thought over the eloquence of the Caive h Capt Beaufort a copy of the Caotten to mention that for some time past, and for the future, I will put a pencil cross on the pill-boxes containing insects, as these alone will require being kept particularly dry; it o I do not know, as this little seat of discord has lately been embroiled by a dreadful scene of murder, and at present there are more prisoners than inhabitants If a merchant vessel is chartered to take them to Rio, I will send some specimens (especially e friends I love and treasure up every recollection of dear old Ca my name down to poor Ramsay's monument; I never think of him without the warmest admiration

Farewell, ed and affectionate friend, CHARLES DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO MISS C DARWIN East Falkland Island, April 6, 1834

My dear Catherine,

When this letter will reach you I know not, but probably some man-of-ill call here before, in the common course of events, I should have another opportunity of writing

After visiting sonificent scenery of the Beagle Channel to Jemmy button's country

(Jeia Basket, were natives of Tierra del Fuego, brought to England by Captain Fitz-Roy in his fore, and restored to their country by hinise poor Jemmy Instead of the clean, well-dressed stout lad we left hiia hadstolen all Je except a bit of blanket round his waist

Poor Je, brought several presents (otter-skins, which are most valuable to themselves) for his old friends The Captain offered to take hiland, but this, to our surprise, he at once refused In the evening his young wife caside and showed us the reason He was quite contented Last year, in the height of his indignation, he said ”his country people no sabe nothing--daood people, with TOO much to eat, and all the luxuries of life Jemmy and his wife paddled away in their canoe loaded with presents, and very happy Thehis own language, has taught all his friends a little English ”J button's canoe” and ”Jemmy's wife come,” ”Give me knife,” etc, was said by several of them