ch. vi.] 1831-1836. 137 



sides the interest attacked to itself, it leads you into most 

 beautiful and retired spots. Nobody but a person fond of 

 Natural History can imagine the pleasure of strolling under 

 cocoa-nuts in a thicket of bananas and coffee-plants, and an 

 endless number of wild flowers. And this island, that has 

 given me so much instruction and delight, is reckoned the 

 most interesting place that we perhaps shall touch at during 

 our voyage. It certainly is generally very barren, but the 

 valleys are more exquisitely beautiful, from the very con- 

 trast. It is utterly useless to say anything about the scen- 

 ery ; it would be as profitable to explain to a blind man 

 colours, as to a person who has not been out of Europe, the 

 total dissimilarity of a tropical view. Whenever I enjoy 

 anything, I always either look forward to writing it down, 

 either in my log-book (which increases in bulk), or in a let- 

 ter ; so you must excuse raptures, and those raptures badly 

 expressed. I find my collections are increasing wonderfully, 

 and from Rio I think I shall be obliged to send a cargo home. 



All the endless delays which we experienced at Plymouth 

 have been most fortunate, as I verily believe no person ever 

 went out better provided for collecting and observing in 

 the different branches of Natural History. In a multi- 

 tude of counsellors I certainly found good. I find to my 

 great surprise that a ship is singularly comfortable for all 

 sorts of work. Everything is so close at hand, and being 

 cramped makes one so methodical, that in the end 1 have 

 been a gainer. I already have got to look at going to sea as 

 a regular quiet place, like going back to home after staying 

 away from it. In short, I find a ship a very comfortable 

 house, with everything you want, and if it was not for sea- 

 sickness the whole world would be sailors. I do not think 

 there is much danger of Erasmus setting the example, but 

 in case there should be, he may rely upon it he does not 

 know one-tenth of the sufferings of sea-sickness. 



I like the officers much more than I did at first, espe- 

 cially Wickham, and young King and Stokes, and indeed 

 all of them. The Captain continues steadily very kind, and 

 does everything in his power to assist me. We see very little 

 of each other when in harbour, our pursuits lead us in such 

 different tracks. I never in my life met with a man who 

 could endure nearly so great a share of fatigue. He works 

 incessantly, and when apparently not employed, he is think- 

 ing. If he does not kill himself, he will during this voyage 

 do a wonderful quantity of work. . . . 



