52 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 



powers of observation were improved, though they were 

 always fairly developed. 



The investigation of the geology of all the places visited 

 was far more important, as reasoning here comes into play. 

 On first examining a new district nothing can appear more 

 hopeless than the chaos of rocks ; but by recording the strati- 

 fication and nature of the rocks and fossils at many points, 

 always reasoning and predicting what will be found else- 

 where, light soon begins to dawn on the district, and the 

 structure of the whole becomes more or less intelligible. I 

 had brought with me the first volume of Lyell's ' Principles 

 of Geology,' which I studied attentively; and the book was 

 of the highest service to me in many ways. The very first 

 place which I examined, namely St. Jago in the Cape de 

 Verde islands, showed me clearly the wonderful superiority 

 of Lyell's manner of treating geology, compared with that of 

 any other author, whose works I had with me or ever after- 

 wards read. 



Another of my occupations was collecting animals of all 

 classes, briefly describing and roughly dissecting many of the 

 marine ones ; but from not being able to draw, and from not 

 having sufficient anatomical knowledge, a great pile of MS. 

 which I made during the voyage has proved almost useless. 

 I thus lost much time, with the exception of that spent in 

 acquiring some knowledge of the Crustaceans, as this was of 

 service when in after years I undertook a monograph of the 

 Cirripedia. 



During some part of the day I wrote my Journal, and 

 took much pains in describing carefully and vividly all that 

 I had seen ; and this was good practice. My Journal served 

 also, in part, as letters to my home, and portions were sent 

 to England whenever there was an opportunity. 



The above various special studies were, however, of no 

 importance compared with the habit of energetic industry 

 and of concentrated attention to whatever I was engaged in, 

 which I then acquired. Everything about which I thought 

 or read was made to bear directly on what I had seen or was 



