21 



CHAPTER III. 



VOYAGE OF THE " BEAGLE " (1831-36). 



About the time of the excursion with Sedgwick (the 

 exact date is uncertain) Professor Henslow received 

 a letter from George Peacock (formerly Dean of Ely 

 and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge) 

 stating that he had the offer to recommend a young 

 man as iiaturaHst to accompany Captain Fitzroy on 

 a surveying expedition to many parts of the world. 

 Leonard Jenyns (afterwards Blomefield) was evi- 

 dently considered to be the most suitable person 

 for the position, but he was unable to accept it. 

 Henslow at once wrote (August 24th, 1831) to Darwin, 

 and advised him to do his utmost to obtain the 

 position, and Darwin found the letter waiting for him 

 on his return home after the geological excursion 

 with Sedgwick. As his father greatly disliked the 

 idea, Darwin at once wrote (August 30th) and declined, 

 and the next day went to Maer to be ready for the 

 shooting on September 1st. Here, however, his 

 uncle, Josiah Wedgwood, took a very different view 

 from that adopted by his father, with the result that 

 both he and Darwin wrote (August 31st) to Shrews- 

 bury and reopened the question. Darwin's letter 

 shows the most touching deference to his father's 

 wishes, and the gravest apprehension lest he should 



