CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN. 359 



riant wood of beautiful trees, and situated on a 

 steep bank, and overlooks the calm waters of the 

 great Bay of All Saints. The houses are white and 

 lofty, and, from the windows being narrow and 

 long, have a very light and elegant appearance. . . 

 But the exquisite, glorious pleasure of walking 

 amongst such flowers and such trees cannot be 

 comprehended but by those who have experienced 

 it. ... I will not rapturize again, but I give my- 

 self great credit in not being crazy out of pure 

 delight. Give my love to every soul at home. . . . 

 I think one's affections, like other good things, 

 flourish and increase in these tropical regions." 



Again he writes from Rio de Janeiro : " Here 

 (at Rio Macoa) I first saw a tropical forest in all 

 its sublime grandeur nothing but the reality can 

 give any idea how wonderful, how magnificent the 

 scene is. ... I never experienced such intense 

 delight. I formerly admired Humboldt, I now 

 almost adore him ; he alone gives any notion of 

 the feelings which are raised in the mind on first 

 entering the Tropics. I am now collecting fresh- 

 water and land animals. ... I am at present red- 

 hot with spiders ; they are very interesting, and, if 

 I am not mistaken, I have already taken some new 

 genera." Busy as he was, he was ever thinking of 

 home, and anxious to receive letters. When they 

 were received, he almost " cried for pleasure." 



He writes to his sister : " If you knew the glow- 

 ing, unspeakable delight which I felt at being cer- 

 tain that my father and all of you were well, only 



