1836.] PLANS. 277 



1836-1837. 



C Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



43 Great Marlborough Street, 



November 6th [1836]. 

 MY DEAR FOX, 



I have taken a shamefully long time in answering your 

 letter. But the busiest time of the whole voyage has been 

 tranquillity itself to this last month. After paying Henslovv 

 a short but very pleasant visit, I came up to town to wait for 

 the Beagles arrival. At last I have removed all my property 

 from on board, and sent the specimens of Natural History to 

 Cambridge, so that I am now a free man. My London visit 

 has been quite idle as far as Natural History goes, but has 

 been passed in most exciting dissipation amongst the Dons 

 in science. All my affairs, indeed, are most prosperous ; I 

 find there are plenty who will undertake the description of 

 whole tribes of animals, of which I know nothing. So that 

 about this day month I hope to set to work tooth and nail at 

 the Geology, which I shall publish by itself. 



It is quite ridiculous what an immensely long period it 

 appears to me since landing at Falmouth. The fact is I have 

 talked and laughed enough for years instead of weeks, so [that] 

 my memory is quite confounded with the noise. I am delighted 

 to hear you are turned geologist : when I pay the Isle of 

 Wight a visit, which I am determined shall somehow come 

 to pass, you will be a capital cicerone to the famous line of 

 dislocation. I really suppose there are few parts of the world 

 more interesting to a geologist than your island. Amongst 

 the great scientific men, no one has been nearly so friendly 

 and kind as Lyell. I have seen him several times, and feel 

 inclined to like him much. You cannot imagine how good- 

 naturedly he entered into all my plans. I speak now only 

 of the London men, for Henslow was just like his former 

 self, and therefore a most cordial and affectionate friend. 



U 2 



