248 LONDON AND CAMBRIDGE. JETAT. 27. [1836. 



1836-1837. 



C. Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



43 Great Maryborough Street, 



November 6th [1836]. 



MY DEAR Fox, 



I have taken a shamefully long time in answering youi 

 letter. But the busiest time of the whole voyage has been 

 tranquillity itself to this last month. After paying Henslow 

 a short but very pleasant visit, I came up to town to wait for 

 the Beagle's arrival. At last I have removed all my property 

 from on board, and sent the specimens of Natural History to 

 Cambridge, so that I am now a free man. My London visit 

 has been quite idle as far as Natural History goes, but has 

 been passed in most exciting dissipation amongst the Dons 

 in science. All my affairs, indeed, are most prosperous ; I 

 find there are plenty who will undertake the description of 

 whole tribes of animals, of which I know nothing. So that 

 about this day month I hope to set to work tooth and nail 

 at the Geology, which I shall publish by itself. 



It is quite ridiculous what an immensely long period it 

 appears to me since landing at Falmouth. The fact is I have 

 talked and laughed enough for years instead of weeks, so 

 [that] my memory is quite confounded with the noise. I am 

 delighted to hear you are turned geologist : when I pay the 

 Isle of Wight a visit, which I am determined shall somehow 

 come to pass, you will be a capital cicerone to the famous 

 line of dislocation. I really suppose there are few parts of 

 the world more interesting to a geologist than your island. 

 Amongst the great scientific men, no one has been nearly so 

 friendly and kind as Lyell. I have seen him several times, 

 and feel inclined to like him much. You cannot imagine 

 how good-naturedly he entered into all my plans. I speak 

 now only of the London men, for Henslow was just like his 

 former self, and therefore a most cordial and affectionate 

 friend. When you pay London a visit I shall be very proud 

 to take you to the Geological Society, for be it known, I was 



