248 THE VOYAGE. ^ETAT. 24. [1833. 



sooner or later, a dear little lady to take care of you and your 

 house. Such a delightful vision makes me quite envious. 

 This is a curious life for a regular shore-going person such as 

 myself ; the worst part of it is its extreme length. There is 

 certainly a great deal of high enjoyment, and on the contrary 

 a tolerable share of vexation of spirit. Everything, however, 

 shall bend to the pleasure of grubbing up old bones, and cap- 

 tivating new animals. By the way, you rank my Natural 

 History labours far too high. I am nothing more than a lions' 

 provider : I do not feel at all sure that they will not growl and 

 finally destroy me. 



It does one's heart good to hear how things are going on in 

 England. Hurrah for the honest Whigs ! I trust they will 

 soon attack that monstrous stain on our boasted liberty, Colo- 

 nial Slavery. I have seen enough of slavery and the dis- 

 positions of the negroes, to be thoroughly disgusted with the 

 lies and nonsense one hears on the subject in England. 

 Thank God, the cold-hearted Tories, who, as ]. Mackintosh 

 used to say, have no enthusiasm, except against enthusiasm, 

 have for the present run their race. I am sorry, by your 

 letter, to hear you have not been well, and that you partly 

 attribute it to want of exercise. I wish you were here amongst 

 the green plains ; we would take walks which would rival the 

 Dolgelly ones, and you should tell stories, which I would 

 believe, even to a cubic fatJiom of pudding. Instead, I must 

 take my solitary ramble, think of Cambridge days, and pick up 

 snakes, beetles and toads. Excuse this short letter (you 

 know I never studied ' The Complete Letter-writer '), and 

 believe me, my dear Herbert, 



Your affectionate friend, 



CHARLES DARWIN. 



