CHAPTER III. 



ON his return home, Darwin speedily placed himself 

 in communication with the leaders of scientific 

 progress, and, in consequence of the valuable results of 

 his voyage, he soon found himself in a most advantageous 

 position. On November 20, 1836, he was elected a 

 Fellow of the Geological Society, and before the end 

 of the year he had sent the manuscript of one of his 

 early papers to Lyell, who writes to him (December 26, 

 1836) : " I have read your paper with the greatest 

 pleasure. . . . What a splendid field you have to write 

 upon." He strongly advised the young man not to 

 accept any official scientific place, but to devote himself 

 to his own line of work. But Darwin was overpersuaded, 

 and became a member of the Council of the Geological 

 Society in the following February, and secretary in 

 February, 1838. This office he held with success for 

 three years. Lyell referred in considerable detail to the 

 young traveller's views in his presidential address to the 

 Society in 1837. 



Darwin's geological papers soon became numerous. 

 In 1837 he discussed in succession the recent elevation 



