At Cambridge University 343 



during his two years' residence in Edinburgh, Darwin, who had 

 entered that University with strong geological aspirations, left it and 

 proceeded to Cambridge with a pronounced distaste for the whole 

 subject. The result of this was that, during his career as an under- 

 graduate, he neglected all the opportunities for geological study. 

 During that important period of life, when he was between eighteen 

 and twenty years of age, Darwin spent his time in riding, shooting and 

 beetle- hunting, pursuits which were undoubtedly an admirable 

 preparation for his future work as an explorer ; but in none of his 

 letters of this period does he even mention geology. He says, how- 

 ever, " I was so sickened with lectures at Edinburgh that I did not 

 even attend Sedgwick's eloquent and interesting lectures 1 ." 



It was only after passing his examination, and when he went up 

 to spend two extra terms at Cambridge, that geology again began to 

 attract his attention. The reading of Sir John Herschel's Intro- 

 duction to the Study of Natural Philosophy, and of Humboldt's Per- 

 sonal Narrative, a copy of which last had been given to him by his 

 good friend and mentor Henslow, roused his dormant enthusiasm for 

 science, and awakened in his mind a passionate desire for travel. 

 And it was from Henslow, whom he had accompanied in his excursions, 

 but without imbibing any marked taste, at that time, for botany, that 

 the advice came to think of and to "begin the study of geology 2 ." 

 This was in 1831, and in the summer vacation of that year we find 

 him back again at Shrewsbury "working like a tiger" at geology and 

 endeavouring to make a map and section of Shropshire — work which 

 he says was not "as easy as I expected 3 ." No better field for 

 geological studies could possibly be found than Darwin's native 

 county. 



Writing to Henslow at this time, and referring to a form of the 

 instrument devised by his friend, Darwin says : " I am very glad 

 to say I think the clinometer will answer admirably. I put all the 

 tables in my bedroom at every conceivable angle and direction. 

 I will venture to say that I have measured them as accurately as 

 any geologist going could do." But he adds : " I have been working 

 at so many things that I have not got on much with geology. 

 I suspect the first expedition I take, clinometer and hammer in 

 hand, will send me back very little wiser and a good deal more 

 puzzled than when I started 4 ." Valuable aid was, however, at hand, 

 for at this time Sedgwick, to whom Darwin had been introduced 

 by the ever-helpful Henslow, was making one of his expeditions into 

 Wales, and consented to accept the young student as his companion 



1 L. L. i. p. 48. 2 L. L. i. p. 56. 



» L. L. i. p. 189. 4 L. L. i. p. 189. 



