I834-] PLANS. 225 



it is to go to the very head of this river, that is probably to the 

 Andes. It is quite unknown ; the Indians tell us it is two 

 or three hundred yards broad, and horses can nowhere ford it. 

 I cannot imagine anything more interesting. Our plans then 

 are to go to Fort Famine, and there we meet the Adventure, 

 who is employed in making the Chart of the Falklands. This 

 will be in the middle of winter, so I shall see Tierra del Fuego 

 in her white drapery. We leave the straits to enter the 

 Pacific by the Barbara Channel, one very little known, and 

 which passes close to the foot of Mount Sarmiento (the high- 

 est mountain in the south, excepting Mt. ! ! Darwin! !). We 

 then shall scud away for Concepcion in Chili. I believe the 

 ship must once again steer southward, but if any one catches 

 me there again, I will give him leave to hang me up as a 

 scarecrow for all future naturalists. I long to be at work in 

 the Cordilleras, the geology of this side, which I understand 

 pretty well is so intimately connected with periods of violence 

 in that great chain of mountains. The future is, indeed, to 

 me a brilliant prospect. You say its very brilliancy frightens 

 you ; but really I am very careful ; I may mention as a proof, 

 in all my rambles I have never had any one accident or 

 scrape. . . . Continue in your good custom of writing plenty 

 of gossip ; I much like hearing all about all things. Remem- 

 ber me most kindly to Uncle Jos, and to all the Wedgwoods. 

 Tell Charlotte (their married names sound downright un- 

 natural) I should like to have written to her, to have told her 

 how well everything is going on ; but it would only have been 

 a transcript of this letter, and I have a host of animals at this 

 minute surrounding me which all require embalming and 

 numbering. I have not forgotten the comfort I received that 

 day at Maer, when my mind was like a swinging pendulum. 

 Give my best love to my father. I hope he will forgive all 

 my extravagance, but not as a Christian, for then I suppose 

 he would send me no more money. 



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

 Your affectionate brother, 



CHAS. DARWIN. 



