1837-] ZOOLOGY OF THE BEAGLE. 25 1 



Another letter to Fox (July) gives an account of the prog- 

 ress of his work : — ■ 



" I gave myself a holiday and a visit to Shrewsbury [in 

 June], as I had finished my Journal. I shall now be very 

 busy in filling up gaps and getting it quite ready for the press 

 by the first of August. I shall always feel respect for every 

 one who has written a book, let it be what it may, for I had 

 no idea of the trouble which trying to write common English 

 could cost one. And, alas, there yet remains the worst part 

 of all, correcting the press. As soon as ever that is done I 

 must put my shoulder to the wheel and commence at the 

 Geology. I have read some short papers to the Geological 

 Society, and they were favourably received by the great guns, 

 and this gives me much confidence, and I hope not a very 

 great deal of vanity, though I confess I feel too often like a 

 peacock admiring his tail. I never expected that my Geology 

 would ever have been worth the consideration of such men as 

 Lyell, who has been to me, since my return, a most active 

 friend. My life is a very busy one at present, and I hope 

 may ever remain so ; though Heaven knows there are many 

 serious drawbacks to such a life, and chief amongst them is 

 the little time it allows one for seeing one's natural friends. 

 For the last three years, I have been longing and longing to 

 be living at Shrewsbury, and after all now in the course of 

 several months, I see my dear good people at Shrewsbury for 

 a week. Susan and Catherine have, however, been staying 

 with my brother here for some weeks, but they had returned 

 home before my visit." 



Besides the work already mentioned he had much to busy 

 him in making arrangements for the publication of the 

 4 Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle.' The following letters 

 illustrate this subject. 



