:J3i-] DEVENPORT. l8cj 



My time passes away very pleasantly. I know one or two 

 pleasant people, foremost of whom is Mr. Thunder-and-light- 

 ning Harris,* whom 1 dare say you have heard of. My chief 

 employment is to go on board the Beagle, and try to look as 

 much like a sailor as I can. I have no evidence of having 

 taken in man, woman or child. 



I am going to ask you to do one more commission, and I 

 trust it will be the last. When I was in Cambridge, I wrote 

 to Mr. Ash, asking him to send my College account to my 

 father, after having subtracted about ^30 for my furniture. 

 This he has forgotten to do, and my father has paid the bill, 

 and I want to have the furniture-money transmitted to my 

 father. Perhaps you would be kind enough to speak to Mr. 

 Ash. I have cost my father so much money, I am quite 

 ashamed of myself. 



I will write once again before sailing, and perhaps you 

 will write to me before then. 



Remember me to Professor Sedgwick and Mr. Peacock. 

 Believe me, yours affectionately, 



. CHAS. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to J. S. Henslow. 



Devonport, December 3, 1831. 

 MY DEAR HENSLOW, 



It is now late in the evening, and to-night I am going 

 to sleep on board. On Monday we most certainly sail, so 

 you may guess in what a desperate state of confusion we are 

 all in. If you were to hear the various exclamations of the 

 officers, you would suppose we had scarcely had a week's 

 notice. I am just in the same way taken all aback, and in 

 such a bustle I hardly know what to do. The number of 

 things to be done is infinite. I look forward even to sea-sick- 

 ness with something like satisfaction, anything must be better 

 than this state of anxiety. I am very much obliged for your 



* William Snow Harris, the Electrician. 



