I835-] T HE ANDES. 23 I 



Good-bye to you all ; you will not have another letter for 

 some time. 



My dear Catherine, 



Yours affectionately, 



Chas. Darwin. 

 My best love to my father, and all of you. Love to Nancy. 



C. Darwin to Miss S. Darwin. 



Valparaiso, April 23, 1835. 



My dear Susan, 



I received, a few days since, your letter of November; 

 the three letters which I before mentioned are yet missing, 

 but I do not doubt they will come to life. I returned a week 

 ago from my excursion across the Andes to Mendoza. Since 

 leaving England I have never made so successful a journey ; 

 it has, however, been very expensive. I am sure my father 

 would not regret it, if he could know how deeply I have en- 

 joyed it : it was something more than enjoyment ; I cannot 

 express the delight which I felt at such a famous winding-up 

 of all my geology in South America. I literally could hardly 

 sleep at nights for thinking over my day's work. The scenery 

 was so new, and so majestic ; everything at an elevation of 

 12,000 feet bears so different an aspect from that in a lower 

 country. I have seen many views more beautiful, but none 

 with so strongly marked a character. To a geologist, also, 

 there are such manifest proofs of excessive violence ; the 

 strata of the highest pinnacles are tossed about like the crust 

 of a broken pie. 



I crossed by the Portillo Pass, which at this time of the 

 year is apt to be dangerous, so could not afford to delay 

 there. After staying a day in the stupid town of Mendoza, I 

 began my return by Uspallate, which I did very leisurely. 

 My whole trip only took up twenty-two days. I travelled 

 with, for me, uncommon comfort, as I carried a bed ! My 

 party consisted of two Peons and ten mules, two of which 

 were with baggage, or rather food, in case of being snowed 

 up. Everything, however, favoured me ; not even a speck of 



