ch. vi.] 1831-1836. 143 



all other respects, will produce its full worth in Natural 

 History ; and it appears to me the doing what little we can 

 to increase the general stock of knowledge is as respectable 

 an object of life as one can in any likelihood pursue. It is 

 more the result of such reflections (as I have already said) 

 than much immediate pleasure which now makes me con- 

 tinue the voyage, together with the glorious prospect of the 

 future, when passing the Straits of Magellan, we have in 

 truth the world before us." 



To Fox, July 1835 : 



" I am glad to hear you have some thoughts of begin- 

 ning Geology. I hope you will ; there is so much larger a 

 field for thought than in the other branches of Natural 

 History. I am become a zealous disciple of Mr. Lyell's 

 views, as known in his admirable book. Geologising in 

 South America, I am tempted to carry parts to a greater 

 extent even than he does. Geology is a capital science to. 

 begin, as it requires nothing but a little reading, thinking, 

 and hammering. I have a considerable body of notes to- 

 gether ; but it is a constant subject of perplexity to me, 

 whether they are of sufficient value for all the time I have, 

 spent about them, or whether animals would not have been 

 of more certain value." 



In the following letter to his sister Susan he gives an 

 account, adapted to the non-geological mind, of his South 

 American work : 



Valparaiso, April 23, 1835. 



My dear Susan, I received, a few days since, your 

 letter of November ; the three letters which I before men- 

 tioned are yet missing, but I do not doubt they will come 

 to life. I returned a week ago from my excursion across 

 the Andes to Mendoza. Since leaving England I have 

 never made so successful a journey ; it has, however, been 

 very expensive. I am sure my father would not regret it, 

 if he could know how deeply I have enjoyed it : it was 

 something more than enjoyment ; I cannot express the de- 

 light which I felt at such a famous winding-up of all my 

 geology in South America. I literally could hardly sleep 

 at nights for thinking over my day's work. The scenery 

 was so new, and so majestic ; everything at an elevation of 

 12,000 feet bears so different an aspect from that in a lower 

 country. I have seen many views more beautiful, but none 

 with so strongly marked a character. To a geologist, also, 



