360 LIFE AT DOWN. ^TAT. 33-45. [1854. 



tremely^ and I thank you sincerely for telling me your old 

 thoughts and aspirations. All that you say makes me even 

 more deeply gratified by the Dedication ; but you, bad man, 

 do you remember asking me how I thought Lyell would like 

 the work to be dedicated to him .? I remember how strongly 

 I answered, and 1 presume you wanted to know what I should 

 feel ; whoever would have dreamed of your being so crafty ? 

 1 am glad you have shown a little bit of ambition about your 

 Journal, for you must know that I have often abused you for 

 not caring more about fame, though, at the same time, I must 

 confess, I have envied and honoured you for being so free 

 (too free, as I have always thought) of this " last infirmity of, 

 &c." Do not say, ''there never was a past hitherto to me — 

 the phantom was always in view," for you will soon find 

 other phantoms in view. How well I know this feeling, and 

 did formerly still more vividly ; but I think my stomach has 

 much deadened my former pure enthusiasm for science and 

 knowledge. 



I am writing an unconscionably long letter, but I must 

 return to the Journals, about which I have hardly said any- 

 thing in detail. Imprimis, the illustrations and maps appear 

 to me the best I have ever seen ; the style seems to me 

 everywhere perfectly clear (how rare a virtue), and some pas- 

 sages really eloquent. How excellently you have described 

 the upper valleys, and how detestable their climate ; I felt 

 quite anxious on the slopes of Kinchin that dreadful snowy 

 night. Nothing has astonished me more than your physical 

 strength ; and all those devilish bridges ! Well, thank good- 

 ness ! it is not very likely that I shall ever go to the Hima- 

 laya. Much in a scientific point of view has interested me, 

 especially all about those wonderful moraines. I certainly 

 think I quite realise the valleys, more vividly perhaps from 

 having seen the valleys of Tahiti. I cannot doubt that the 

 Himalaya owe almost all their contour to running water, and 

 that they have been subjected to such action longer than any 

 mountains (as yet described) in the world. What a contrast 

 with the Andes ! 



