122 APPOINTMENT TO THE BEAGLE. [Ch. V. 



I am much obliged for your advice, de Maihematicis. I 

 suspect when I am struggling with a triangle, I shall often 

 wish myself in your room, and as for those wicked sulky surds, 

 I do not know what I shall do without you to conjure them. 

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

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

 ning Harris,* whom I 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 tho 

 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. 



Believe me, yours affectionately, 



C. D. to J. S. Hemlow. 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-sickness 

 with something like satisfaction, anything must be better than 

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

 kind and affectionate letter. I always like advice from you, 

 and no one whom I have the luck to know is more capable of 

 giving it than yourself. Recollect, when you write, that I am 

 a sort of protege of yours, and that it is your bounden duty to 

 lecture me. 



I will now give you my direction : it is at first, Rio ; but 

 if you will send me a letter on the first Tuesday (when the 

 packet sails) in February, directed to Monte Video, it will give 



* William Snow Harris, the Electrician. 



