i832.] MONTE VIDEO. 213 



tion ; and then for man or ship it is not so easy to right again. 

 Remember me most sincerely to the remnant of most excel- 

 lent fellows whom I have the good luck to know in Cambridge 

 — I mean Whitley and Watkins. Tell Lowe I am even be- 

 neath his contempt. I can eat salt beef and musty biscuits 

 for dinner. See what a fall man may come to ! 



My direction for the next year and a half will be Monte 

 Video. 



God bless you, my very dear old Herbert. May you al- 

 ways be happy and prosperous is my most cordial wish. 



Yours affectionately, 



Chas. Darwin. 



C. Darwin to F. Watkins. 



Monte Video, River Plata, 



August 18, 1832. 



My dear Watkins, 



I do not feel very sure you will think a letter from one so 

 far distant will be worth having; I write therefore on the 

 selfish principle of getting an answer. In the different coun- 

 tries we visit the entire newness and difference from England 

 only serves to make more keen the recollection of its scenes 

 and delights. In consequence the pleasure of thinking of, 

 and hearing from one's former friends, does indeed become 

 great. Recollect this, and some long winter's evening sit 

 down and send me a long account of yourself and our friends ; 

 both what you have, and what [you] intend doing ; otherwise 

 in three or four more years when I return you will be all 

 strangers to me. Considering how many months have passed, 

 we have not in the Beagle made much way round the world. 

 Hitherto everything has well repaid the necessary trouble and 

 loss of comfort. We stayed three weeks at the Cape de Verds ; 

 it was no ordinary pleasure rambling over the plains of lava 

 under a tropical sun, but when I first entered on and beheld 

 the luxuriant vegetation in Brazil, it was realizing the visions 

 in the 'Arabian Nights.' The brilliancy of the scenery 



