94 THE UNFINISHED BOOK. [1857.. 



Hooker's New Zealand Essay. What grand work to explore 

 Rodriguez, with its fossil birds, and little known productions 

 of every kind. Again the Seychelles, which, with the Cocos 

 so near, must be a remnant of some older land. The outer 

 island of Juan Fernandez is little known. The investigation 

 of these little spots by a band of naturalists would be grand ;; 

 St. Paul's and Amsterdam would be glorious, botanically, and 

 geologically. Can you not recommend them to get my 

 ' Journal ' and ' Volcanic Islands ' on account of the Galapagos. 

 If they come from the north it will be a shame and a sin if 

 they do not call at Cocos Islet, one of the Galapagos. I 

 always regretted that I was not able to examine the great- 

 craters on Albemarle Island, one of the Galapagos. In 

 New Zealand urge on them to look out for erratic boulders 

 and marks of old glaciers. 



Urge the use of the dredge in the Tropics ; how little or 

 nothing we know of the limit of life downward in the hot 

 seas ? 



My present work leads me to perceive how much the 

 domestic animals have been neglected in out of the way 

 countries. 



The Revillagigedo Island off Mexico, I believe, has never 

 been trodden by foot of naturalist. 



If the expedition sticks to such places as Rio, Cape 



of Good Hope, Ceylon and Australia, &c, it will not do 



much. 



Ever yours most truly, 



C. Darwin. 



[The following passage occurs in a letter to Mr. Fox,. 

 February 22, 1857, and has reference to the book on Evolution 

 on which he was still at work : 



" I am got most deeply interested in my subject ; though I 

 wish I could set less value on the bauble fame, either present 

 or posthumous, than I do, but not I think, to any extreme 



