X OBITUARY 269 



seems to have grown very shadowy. Humboldt's 

 " Personal Narrative," and Herschel's " Introduc- 

 tion to the Study of Natural Philosophy," fell in 

 his way and revealed to him his real vocation. 

 The impression made by the former work was 

 very strong. "My whole course of life," says 

 Darwin in sending a message to Humboldt, " is 

 due to having read and re-read, as a youth, his 

 personal narrative/' (I. p. 336.) The description 

 of TenerifFe inspired Darwin with such a strong 

 desire to visit the island, that he took some steps 

 towards going there inquiring about ships, and 

 so on. 



But, while this project was fermenting, Henslow, 

 who had been asked to recommend a naturalist for 

 Captain Fitzroy's projected expedition, at once 

 thought of his pupil. In his letter of the 24th 

 August, 1831, he says : " I have stated that I 

 consider you to be the best qualified person I know 

 of who is likely to undertake such a situation. I 

 state this not on the supposition of your being a 

 finished naturalist, but as amply qualified for 

 collecting, observing, and noting anything worthy 

 to be noted in Natural History .... The voyage 

 is to last two years, and if you take plenty of 

 books with you, anything you please may be done." 

 (I. p. 193.) The state of ; the case could not have 

 been better put. Assuredly the young naturalist's 

 theoretical and practical scientific training had 

 gone no further than might suffice for the outfit 



