My dear Lyell

I should have written before had it not seemed doubtful whether you would go on to Teneriffe, but now I am extremely glad to hear your further progress is certain.¹ Not that I have much of any sort to say, as you may well believe, when you hear that I have only once been in London since you started. I was particularly glad to see two days since your letter to M^r Horner,² with its geological news; how fortunate for you that your knees are recovered. I am astonished at what you say of the beauty, though I had fancied it great. It really makes me quite envious to think of you clambering up & down those steep valleys. And what a pleasant party on every return from your expeditions. I often think of the delight which I felt when examining volcanic islands; & I can remember even particular rocks which I struck—& the smell of the hot, black, scoriaceous cliffs—but of these hot smells, you do not seem to have had much.— I do quite envy you. How I should like to be with you, & speculate on the deep & narrow valleys.³

How very singular the fact is which you mention about the inclination of the strata being greater round the circumference than in the middle of the island: do you suppose the elevation has had the form of a flat dome:⁴ I remember in the Cordillera, being often struck with the greater abruptness of the strata in the low, extreme outermost ranges, compared with the great mass of inner mountains.— I dare say you will have thought of measuring exactly the width of any dikes, at top & bottom of any great cliff, (which was done by M^r. Seale⁵ at St. Helena) for it has often struck me as very odd, that the cracks did not die out oftener upwards.—

I can think of hardly any news to tell you, as I have seen no one, since being in London, where I was delighted to see Forbes⁶ looking so well, quite big & burly. I saw at the Museum⁷ some of the surprisingly rich Gold Ore from N. Wales:⁸ Ramsay, also, told me, that he has lately turned a good deal of New Red S. into Permian, together with the Labyrinthodon.—⁹

No doubt you see newspapers & know that E. de Beaumont is perpetual Secretary,¹⁰ & I suppose will be more powerful than ever; & Le Verrier has Arago’s place in the Observatory.—¹¹ There was a meeting lately at the Geolog. Soc^y, at which Prestwich,¹² (judging from what R. Jones,¹³ told me) brought forward your exact theory,¹⁴ viz that the whole red clay & flints over the Chalk-plateau hereabout is the residuum from slow dissolution of the chalk!

As regards ourselves, we have no news, & are all well. The Hookers, sometime ago staid a fortnight with us, & to our extreme delight, Henslow came down, & was most quiet & comfortable here. It does one good to see so composed, benevolent & intellectual a countenance. There have been great fears that his heart is affected; but I hope to God without foundation. Hooker’s book is out, & most beautifully got up.¹⁵ He has honoured me beyond measure, by dedicating it to me! As for myself, I am got to the p. 112 of the Barnacles,¹⁶ & that is the sum total of my History. By the way, as you care so much about N. America, I may mention that I had a long letter from a ship-mate in Australia,¹⁷ who says the Colony is getting decidedly republican, from the influx of Americans, & that all the great & novel schemes for working the Gold are planned & executed by these men.¹⁸ What a go-a head nation it is.—

Give our kindest remembrances to Lady Lyell and to M^rs. Bunbury & to Bunbury. I most heartily wish that the Canaries may be 10 times as interesting as Madeira, & that everything may go on most prosperously with your whole party.

My dear Lyell, your’s most truly & affectionately | C. Darwin.