ch. vi.] 1831-1836. Ul 



rine, February 8th, another from Susan, March 3d, together 

 with notes from Caroline and from my father ; give my 

 best love to my father. I almost cried for pleasure at re- 

 ceiving it ; 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 ease my conscience by considering the Journal 

 as a long letter." 



Or again his longing to return in words like these : 

 " It is too delightful to think that I shall see the leaves fall 

 and hear the robin sing next autumn at Shrewsbury. My 

 feelings are those of a schoolboy to the smallest point ; I 

 doubt whether ever boy longed for his holidays as much as 

 I do to see you all again. I am at present, although nearly 

 half the world is between me and home, beginning to ar- 

 range what I shall do, where I shall go during the first 

 week." 



" ]STo schoolboys ever sung the half-sentimental and half- 

 jovial strain of ' dulce domum ' with more fervour than we 

 all feel inclined to do. But the whole subject of ' dulce 

 domum,' and the delight of seeing one's friends, is most 

 daugerous, it must infallibly make one very prosy or very 

 boisterous. Oh, the degree to which I long to be once again 

 living quietly with not one single novel object near me ! 

 Xo one can imagine it till he has been whirled round the 

 world during five long years in a ten-gun brig." 



The following extracts may serve to give an idea of the 

 impressions now crowding on him, as well as of the vigorous 

 delight with which he plunged into scientific work. 



May 18, 1832, to Henslow : 



" Here [Rio], I first saw a tropical forest in all its sub- 

 lime grandeur nothing but the reality can give any idea 

 how wonderful, how magnificent the scene is. If I was to 

 specify any one thing I should give the pre-eminence to the 

 host of parasitical plants. Your engraving is exactly true, 

 but underrates rather than exaggerates the luxuriance. I 

 never experienced such intense delight. I formerly admired 

 Humboldt, I now almost adore him ; he alone gives any 

 notion of the feelings which are raised in the mind on first 

 entering the Tropics. I am now collecting fresh- water and 

 land animals ; if what was told me in London is true, viz., 

 that there are no small insects in the collections from the 

 Tropics, I tell Entomologists to look out and have their 

 pens ready for describing. I have taken as minute (if not 



