128 Charles Darwin. 



Among the men whose acquaintance he made at 

 this time Avas Robert Brown, who had similar char- 

 acterists, showing the greatest care for detail in all 

 his work. Darwin met Sir John Herschel at the Cape 

 of Good Hope, and afterwards often in London. 

 Humboldt, who had delighted him by his works, 

 was a disappointment personally, and he refers to him 

 simply as a good talker. Sydney Smith, Macaulay, 

 Motley, and Grote were other distinguished men 

 whom he met during these years. Comparatively 

 little time was passed from home ; his work was the 

 magnet that prevented him from straying far away, 

 and holidays and excursions were rare. 



As a working naturalist Darwin was a model of 

 exactness, patience, and perseverance ; he rarely lost 

 a moment, and while not a rapid worker, he com- 

 pensated for this by the attention he gave the 

 subject. His study was adapted for work, his 

 appliances being essentially simple. A dissecting 

 board, with a low, revolving stool, was a principal 

 feature, while a table bore his tools, and various 

 drawers containing the various articles he was likely 

 to use. 



Darwin's library was a curiosity, as he considered 

 books simply as a part of his working material, and 

 had not the reverence for them that we find in the 

 bibliophile. They were marked with memoranda, 

 and divided if too large. He often laughed with Sir 

 Charles Lyell over the fact that he had made him 

 bring out an edition of his book in two volumes by 

 informing him that he was obliged to cut the book in 

 halves for use. Pamphlets he cut up, often throwing 



