10 EARLY LETTERS [CHAr. I 



Letter 3 and shape noted down will be more valuable to naturalists 

 than six with only dates and place. I hope you will send 

 me your criticisms about my collection ; and it will be my 

 endeavour that nothing you say shall be lost on me. I 

 would send home my writings with my specimens, only I 

 find I have so repeatedly occasion to refer back that it 

 would be a serious loss to me. I cannot conclude about my 

 collection without adding that I implicitly trust in your 

 keeping an exact account against all the expense of boxes, etc., 

 etc. At this present minute we are at anchor in the mouth of 

 the river, and such a strange scene as it is. Everything is in 

 flames the sky with lightning, the water with luminous 

 particles, and even the very masts are pointed with a blue 

 flame. I expect great interest in scouring over the plains 

 of Monte Video, yet I look back with regret to the Tropics, 

 that magic lure to all naturalists. The delight of sitting 

 on a decaying trunk amidst the quiet gloom of the forest 

 is unspeakable and never to be forgotten. How often have 

 I then wished for you. When I see a banana I well recollect 

 admiring them with you in Cambridge little did I then 

 think how soon I should eat their fruit. 



August 1 5th. In a few days the box will go by the 

 Emulous packet (Capt. Cooke) to Falmouth and will be 

 forwarded to you. This letter goes the same way, so that 

 if in course of due time you do not receive the box, will you 

 be kind enough to write to Falmouth ? We have been here 

 (Monte Video) for some time ; but owing to bad weather 

 and continual fighting on shore, we have scarcely ever 

 been able to walk in the country. I have collected during 

 the last month nothing, but to-day I have been out and 

 returned like Noah's Ark with animals of all sorts. I have 

 to-day to my astonishment found two Planarice living under 

 dry stones : ask L. Jenyns 1 if he has ever heard of this fact. 

 I also found a most curious snail, and spiders, beetles, snakes, 

 scorpions ad libitum^ and to conclude shot a Cavia weighing 

 a cwt. On Friday we sail for the Rio Negro, and then will 

 commence our real wild work. I look forward with dread 

 to the wet stormy regions of the south, but after so much 

 pleasure I must put up with some sea-sickness and misery. 



1 L. Jenyns afterwards changed his name to Blomefield : see bio- 

 graphical note, p. 49. 



