32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY. [ch. ii. 



ing step, and made the volcanic rocks resound under my 

 geological hammer. All this shows how ambitious I was; 

 but I think that I can say with truth that in after years, 

 though I cared in the highest degree for the approbation of 

 such men as Lyell and Hooker, who were my friends, I did 

 not care much about the general public. I do not mean 

 to say that a favourable review or a large sale of my books 

 did not please me greatly, but the pleasure was a fleeting 

 one, and I am sure that I have never turned one- inch out 

 of my course to gain fame. 



From my return to England (October 2, 1836) to my 

 marriage (January 29, 1839). 



These two years and three months were the most active 

 ones which I ever spent, though I was occasionally unwell, 

 and so lost some time. After going backwards and forwards 

 several times between Shrewsbury, Maer, Cambridge, and 

 London, I settled in lodgings at Cambridge * on December 

 13th, where all my collections were under the care of Hens- 

 low. I stayed here three months, and got my minerals and 

 rocks examined by the aid of Professor Miller. 



I began preparing my Journal of Travels, which was not 

 hard work, as my MS. Journal had been written with care, 

 and my chief labour was making an abstract of my more 

 interesting scientific results. I sent also, at the request of 

 Lyell, a short account of my observations on the elevation 

 of the coast of Chili to the Geological Society. f 



On March 7th, 1837, I took lodgings in Great Marl- 

 borough Street in London, and remained there for nearly 

 two years, until I was married. During these two years I 

 finished my Journal, read several papers before the Geologi- 

 cal Society, began preparing the MS. for my Geological 

 Observations, and arranged for the publication of the Zoology 

 of the Voyage of the Beagle. In July I opened my first note- 

 book for facts in relation to the Origin of Species, about 

 which I had long reflected, and never ceased working for 

 the next twenty years. 



During these two years I also went a little into society, 

 and acted as one of the honorary secretaries of the Geologi- 

 cal Society. I saw a great deal of Lyell. One of his chief 



* In Fitz william Street. 



t Geolog. Soc. Proc. ii. 1838, pp. 446-149. 



