254 THE VOYAGE. ^ETAT. 25. [1834. 



gance, but not as a Christian, for then 1 suppose he would 

 send me no more money. 



Good-bye, dear, to you, and all your goodly sisterhood. 

 Your affectionate brother, 



CHAS. DARWIN. 



My love to Nancy ; * tell her, if she was now to see me 

 with my great beard, she would think I was some worthy 

 Solomon, come to sell the trinkets. 



C. Darwin to C. Whit ley. 



Valparaiso, July 23, 1834. 



MY DEAR WHITLEY, 



I have long intended writing, just to put you in mind 

 that there is a certain hunter of beetles, and pounder of rocks, 

 still in existence. Why I have not done so before I know 

 not, but it will serve me right if you have quite forgotten me. 

 It is a very long time since I have heard any Cambridge news ; 

 I neither know where you are living or what you are doing. 

 I saw your name down as one of the indefatigable guardians 

 of the eighteen hundred philosophers. I was delighted to 

 see this, for when we last left Cambridge you were at sad 

 variance with poor science ; you seemed to think her a public 

 prostitute working for popularity. If your opinions are the 

 same as formerly, you would agree most admirably with 

 Captain Fitz-Roy, the object of his most devout abhorrence 

 is one of the d d scientific Whigs. As captains of men-of- 

 war are the greatest men going, far greater than kings or 

 schoolmasters, I am obliged to tell him everything in my 

 own favour. I have often said I once had a very good 

 friend, an out-and-out Tory, and we managed to get on very 

 well together. But he is very much inclined to doubt il 

 ever I really was so much honoured ; at present we hear 

 scarcely anything about politics ; this saves a great deal 



* His old nurse. 



