124 Charles Darwin. 



but as a thorough and conscientious worker in almost 

 every branch of science. 



There was but one drawback to his pleasure and 

 delight at returning to his native land : this was his 

 failing health. Sea-sickness, which had troubled him 

 from the first, followed him through the entire voy- 

 age, and this and the hardships through which he 

 passed undoubtedly undermined his vigorous con- 

 stitution. His physical condition determined his 

 future career. At the suggestion of Sir Charles 

 Lyell he gave up all thought of professional life, 

 and at once devoted himself to the work of his 

 choice — the study of natural science, and the elab- 

 oration of theories and ideas conceived during his 

 life on the Beagle. 



Darwin's success had preceded him, and while on 

 the return voyage he received a letter which stated 

 that Sedgwick, the naturalist, had called upon his 

 father and expressed the opinion that his son would 

 take a position among the leading scientific men of 

 the country — an opinion based upon some papers or 

 letters read in 1835 before the Philosophical Society 

 of Cambridge. Darwin had sent some of his fossils 

 to Professor Henslow, so that the attention of palae- 

 ontologists was also directed to his work. 



After a few days spent in the enjoyment of the 

 home-circle — days of delight, after so protracted an 

 absence, — he returned to Greenwich and began the 

 arduous labour of unpacking and arranging the vast 

 collections he had made. That he was to some ex- 

 tent disappointed in the interest exhibited in the 

 result of his work among eminent men is evident, 



