PREFACE vii 



made, provided such records are written 

 truthfully, contemporaneously, and from 

 direct personal observation. 



In justice to myself, I must add that these 

 are dona fide letters, written at the times 

 they are dated, and not in any sense com- 

 pilations ; and I must plead as my excuse for 

 the errors which will no doubt be detected in 

 those parts which relate to natural history, 

 my want of any complete collection of books 

 of reference on the subject. As to the 

 illustrations, they are for the most part only 

 corrected reproductions of the little pen land 

 ink scribbles which I occasionally inserted in 

 my letters ; and in this form they will perhaps 

 harmonise better with the character of the 

 letters themselves than if they had been 

 more elaborated. I have to acknowledge 

 my obligations to Mr. Marks for much help, 

 especially for the neat and careful way in 

 which he preserved the original letters ; and 



