THE VOYAGE. 55 



dence round the craters, which had since been in action, and 

 had poured forth lava. It then first dawned on me that I^.- 

 might perhaps write a book on the geology of the various 

 countries visited, and this made me thrill with delight. That 

 was a memorable hour to me, and how distinctly I can call to 

 mind the low cliff of lava beneath which I rested, with the 

 sun glaring hot, a few strange desert plants growing near, and 

 with living corals in the tidal pools at my feet. Later in the 

 voyage, Fitz-Roy asked me to read some of my Journal, and 

 declared it would be worth publishing ; so here was a second 

 book in prospect ! 



Towards the close of our voyage I received a letter whilst 

 at Ascension, in which my sisters told me that Sedgwick had 

 called on my father, and said that I should take a place among 

 the leading scientific men. I could not at the time under- 

 stand how he could have learnt anything of my proceedings, 

 but I heard (I believe afterwards) that Henslow had read 

 some of the letters which I wrote to him before the Philo- 

 sophical Society of Cambridge,* and had printed them for 

 private distribution. My collection of fossil bones, which 

 had been sent to Henslow, also excited considerable atten- 

 tion amongst palaeontologists. After reading this letter, I 

 clambered over the mountains of Ascension with a bounding 

 step, and made the volcanic rocks resound under my geologi- 

 cal hammer. All this shows how ambitious I was ; but I think 

 that I can say with truth that in after years, though I cared 

 in the highest degree for the approbation of such men as 

 Lyell and Hooker, who were my friends, I did not care much 

 about the general public. I do not mean to say that a favour- 

 able review or a large sale of my books did not please me 

 greatly, but the pleasure was a fleeting one, and I am sure 

 that I have never turned one inch out of my course to gain 

 fame. 



* Read at the meeting held November 16, 1835, and printed in a pam- 

 phlet of 31 pp. for distribution among the members of the Society. 



