268 THE VOYAGE. ^ETAT. 2/. [1836. 



distinct creation should, as is asserted, bear marks of recent 

 elevation. 



The Beagle proceeds from this place to Ascension, then to 

 the Cape de Verds (what miserable places !) to the Azores to 

 Plymouth, and then to home. That most glorious of all days 

 in my life will not, however, arrive till the middle of October. 

 Some time in that month you will see me at Cambridge, where 

 I must directly come to report myself to you, as my first Lord 

 of the Admiralty. At the Cape of Good Hope we all on board 

 suffered a bitter disappointment in missing nine months' letters, 

 which are chasing us from one side of the globe to the other. 

 I dare say amongst them there was a letter from you ; it is 

 long since I have seen your hand-writing, but I shall soon see 

 you yourself, which is far better. As I am your pupil, you are 

 bound to undertake the task of criticising and scolding me for 

 all the things ill done and not done at all, which I fear I shall 

 need much ; but I hope for the best, and I am sure I have a 

 good if not too easy taskmaster. 



At the Cape Captain Fitz-Roy and myself enjoyed a me- 

 morable piece of good fortune in meeting Sir J. Herschel. 

 We dined at his house and saw him a few times besides. He 

 was exceedingly good-natured, but his manners at first ap- 

 peared to me rather awful. He is living in a very comfortable 

 country house, surrounded by fir and oak trees, which alone 

 in so open a country, give a most charming air of seclusion 

 and comfort. He appears to find time for everything ; he 

 showed us a pretty garden full of Cape bulbs of his own col- 

 lecting, and I afterwards understood that everything was the 

 work of his own hands. ... I am very stupid, and I have 

 nothing more to say ; the wind is whistling so mournfully 

 over the bleak hills, that I shall go to bed and dream of 

 England. 



Good night, my dear Henslow, 



Yours most truly obliged and affectionately, 



CHAS. DARWIN. 



