I835-] MR. LYELL. 263 



about I saw the other day a vessel sail for England ; it was 

 quite dangerous to know how easily I might turn deserter. 

 As for an English lady, I have almost forgotten what she is 

 something very angelic and good. As for the women in 

 these countries, they wear caps and petticoats, and a very few 

 have pretty faces, and then all is said. But if we are not 

 wrecked on some unlucky reef, I will sit by that same fireside 

 in Vale Cottage and tell some of the wonderful stories, which 

 you seem to anticipate and, I presume, are not very ready to 

 believe. Gracias a dios, the prospect of such times is rather 

 shorter than formerly. 



From this most wretched ' City of the Kings ' we sail in 

 a fortnight, from thence to Guayaquil, Galapagos, Marquesas, 

 Society Islands, &c., &c. I look forward to the Galapagos 

 with more interest than any other part of the voyage. They 

 abound with active volcanoes, and, I should hope, contain Ter- 

 tiary strata. I am glad to hear you have some thoughts of be- 

 ginning Geology. I hope you will ; there is so much larger 

 a field for thought than in the other branches of Natural 

 History. I am become a zealous disciple of Mr. Lyell's 

 views, as known in his admirable book. Geologising in South 

 America, I am tempted to carry parts to a greater extent 

 even than he does. Geology is a capital science to begin, as 

 it requires nothing but a little reading, thinking, and hammer- 

 ing. I have a considerable body of notes together ; but it is 

 a constant subject of perplexity to me, whether they are of 

 sufficient value for all the time I have spent about them, 

 or whether animals would not have been of more certain 

 value. 



I shall indeed be glad once again to see you and tell you 

 how grateful I feel for your steady friendship. God bless 

 you, my very dear Fox. 



Believe me, 



Yours affectionately, 



CHAS. DARWIN, 



