ch. v.] 1831. 129 



my own feelings, for I am sure if I had left college some few 

 years, or been those years older I never could have endured 

 it. The officers (excepting the Captain) are like the fresh- 

 est freshmen, that is in their manners, in everything else 

 widely different. Remember me most kindly to him, and 

 tell him if ever he dreams in the night of palm-trees, he 

 may in the morning comfort himself with the assurance 

 that the voyage would not have suited him. 



I am much obliged for your advice, cle Mathematicis. I 

 suspect when I am struggling with a triangle, I shall often 

 wish myself in your room, and as for those wicked sulky 

 surds, I do not know what I shall do without you to con- 

 jure them. My time passes away very pleasantly. I know 

 one or two pleasant people, foremost of whom is Mr. Thun- 

 der-and-lightning Harris,* whom I daresay you have heard 

 of. My chief employment is to go on board the Beagle, and 

 try to look as much like a sailor as I can. I have no evi- 

 dence of having taken in man, woman or child. 



I am going to ask you to do one more commission, and I 

 trust it will be the last. When I was in Cambridge, I wrote 

 to Mr. Ash, asking him to send my College account to my 

 father, after having subtracted about 30 for my furniture. 

 This he has forgotten to do, and my father has paid the 

 bill, and I want to have the furniture-money transmitted to 

 my father. Perhaps you would be kind enough to speak to 

 Mr. Ash. I have cost my father so much money, I am 

 quite ashamed of myself. 



I will write once again before sailing, and perhaps you 

 will write to me before then. 



Believe me, yours affectionately. 



C. D. to J. S. Henslow. Devonport [December 3, 1831]. 



My dear Hexslow It is now late in the evening, and 

 to-night I am going to sleep on board. On Monday we 

 most certainly sail, so you may guess in what a desperate 

 state of confusion we are all in. If you were to hear the 

 various exclamations of the officers, you would suppose we 

 had scarcely had a week's notice. I am just in the same 

 way taken all alack, and in such a bustle I hardly know 

 what to do. The number of things to be done is infinite. 

 I look forward even to sea-sickness with something like sat- 



* William Snow Harris, the Electrician. 



