262 LONDON AND CAMBRIDGE. ^TAT. 29. [1838. 



mind his want of opportunities of observing glacial action 

 on a large scale. 



The latter half of July was passed at Shrewsbury and 

 Maer. The only entry of any interest is one of being " very 

 idle " at Shrewsbury, and of opening " a note-book connected 

 with metaphysical inquiries." In August he records that he 

 read ''a good deal of various amusing books, and paid some 

 attention to metaphysical subjects." 



The work done during the remainder of the year comprises 

 the book on coral reefs (begun in October), and some work 

 on the phenomena of elevation in S. America.] 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



36 Great Marlborough Street, 



August 9th [1838]. 



My dear Lyell, 



I did not write to you at Norwich, for I thought I should 

 have more to say, if I waited a few more days. Very many 

 thanks for the present of your ' Elements,' which I received 

 (and I believe the very first copy distributed) together with 

 your note. I have read it through every word, and am full 

 of admiration of it, and, as I now see no geologist, I must 

 talk to you about it. There is no pleasure in reading a book 

 if one cannot have a good talk over it ; I repeat, I am full of 

 admiration of it, it is as clear as daylight, in fact I felt in 

 many parts some mortification at thinking how geologists 

 have laboured and struggled at proving what seems, as you 

 have put it, so evidently probable. I read with much interest 

 your sketch of the secondary deposits ; you have contrived 

 to make it quite "juicy," as we used to say as children of a 

 good story. There was also much new to me, and I have 

 to copy out some fifty notes and references. It must do 

 good, the heretics against common sense must yield. . . . 

 By the way, do you recollect my telling you how much I 



disliked the manner referred to his other works, as 



much as to say, '^ You must, ought, and shall buy everything 

 I have written." To my mind, you have somehow quite 



