56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 



scheme was, of course, knocked on the head by the 

 voyage of the Beagle. 



My summer vacations were given up to collecting 

 beetles, to some reading, and short tours. In the 

 autumn my whole time was devoted to shooting, 

 chiefly at Woodhouse and Maer, and sometimes with 

 young Eyton of Eyton. Upon the whole the three 

 years which I spent at Cambridge were the most 

 joyful in my happy life ; for I was then in excellent 

 health, and almost always in high spirits. 



As I had at first come up to Cambridge at Christmas, 

 I was forced to keep two terms after passing my final 

 examination, at the commencement of 1831 ; and 

 Henslow then persuaded me to begin the study of 

 geology. Therefore on my return to Shropshire I 

 examined sections, and coloured a map of parts round 

 Shrewsbury. Professor Sedgwick intended to visit 

 North Wales in the beginning of August to pursue his 

 famous geological investigations amongst the older 

 rocks, and Henslow asked him to allow me to accom- 

 pany him.* Accordingly he came and slept at my 

 father's house. 



A short conversation with him during this evening 

 produced a strong impression on my mind. Whilst 

 examining an old gravel-pit near Shrewsbury, a 



* In connection with this tour waiter) had not given the chamber- 



my father used to tell a story about maid the sixpence intrusted to him 



Sedgwick : they had started from for the purpose. He was ultimately 



their inn one morning, and had persuaded to give up the project, 



walked a mile or two, when Sedg- seeing that there was no reason for 



wick suddenly stopped, and vowed suspecting the waiter of especial 



that he would return, being certain perfidy. F. D. 

 "that damned scoundrel" (the 



