54 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 



tor, as I fully expected to hear the verdict that I was 

 not fit for the voyage, and I was resolved to go at all 

 hazards. 



I need not here refer to the events of the voyage — where 

 we went and what we did — as I have given a sufficiently full 

 account in my published Journal. The glories of the vege- 

 tation of the Tropics rise before my mind at the present time 

 more vividly than anything else ; though the sense of sub- 

 limity, which the great deserts of Patagonia and the forest- 

 clad mountains of Tierra del Fuego excited in me, has left 

 an indelible impression on my mind. The sight of a naked 

 savage in his native land is an event which can never be for- 

 gotten. Many of my excursions on horseback through wild 

 countries, or in the boats, some of which lasted several weeks, 

 were deeply interesting: their discomfort and some degree 

 of danger were at that time hardly a drawback, and none at 

 all afterwards. I also reflect with high satisfaction on some 

 of my scientific work, such as solving the problem of coral 

 islands, and making out the geological structure of certain 

 islands, for instance, St. Helena. Nor must I pass over 

 the discovery of the singular relations of the animals and 

 plants inhabiting the several islands of the Galapagos archi- 

 pelago, and of all of them to the inhabitants of South 

 America. 



As far as I can judge of myself, I worked to the utmost 

 during the voyage from the mere pleasure of investigation, 

 and from my strong desire to add a few facts to the great mass 

 of facts in Natural Science. But I was also ambitious to take 

 a fair place among scientific men, — whether more ambitious 

 or less so than most of my fellow-workers, I can form no 

 opinion. 



The geology of St. Jago is very striking, yet simple : a 

 stream of lava formerly flowed over the bed of the sea, formed 

 of triturated recent shells and corals, which it has baked into 

 a hard white rock. Since then the whole island has been up- 

 heaved. But the line of white rock revealed to me a new and 

 important fact, namely, that there had been afterwards subsi- 



