My dear Henslow

I have not been very well of late with an uncomfortable palpitation of the heart, and my doctors urge me strongly to knock off all work & go and live in the country, for a few weeks.— I believe I must do this: but I am in a puzzle how to go on correcting the press.— If the proof is first sent to me, & then to you, & then to me again at Shrewsbury very much time will be lost; and even as is it, the Printers are always plaguing me, saying they are unable to print the work quickly (which I urgently desire) if I keep so many sheets in type. I cannot tell whether it will be best for the proof to go first to you & thence to me or vice versâ.— In the latter case I lose the advantage of any sweeping criticisms, such as altering the tone of any whole page.— Whilst, on the other hand, if it goes to you first, I fear it must give you more trouble. Could you look over the proof, without troubling yourself with minutiæ, & correcting such as you now do leave me to finish the job.— When you offered to look over my proofs sheets, I had not then experience, & did not know what a troublesome, but goodnatured office you undertook.— I find it most disagreeable work, if I attend to sense, I forget the spelling & vice versâ.— Will you have the goodness to write to me by return of post & tell me what appears best to you.— For I feel I must have a little rest, else I shall break down.— I want also to hear whether you had time to speak to M^r Sp. Rice.¹ The slips from Liverpool,² arrived by the twopenny post last night, but my printers bullied me so, that I was obliged to send a duplicate proof, before I received. Some of your corre⁠⟨⁠ctions⁠⟩⁠ I have been able to put in the revis⁠⟨⁠es.⁠⟩⁠ With respect to quantity of vegetation on plains & forests, I never saw a primeval forest that was not an impenetrable jungle, whereas the plains of S. Africa are open, although no doubt, as you suggest, a plain thickly covered with 8 or 10 ft high would supply in accessible quantity as much as or more than the thickest jungle.— But I suppose you agree in the general fact, that geologists have been hasty in their conclusions.³ I have corrected three or four slips, & sent them direct to the bothering printers. I trust in providence, there were not many errors. I must take my chance, for two or three more, for I hope to leave London (if I can manage it) on Monday, so that there will not be time to send them to you & receive them back. You will find a jump in the next you look over.— Will you tell me about your post; when shall you receive this (sent on Wednesday) & how soon should you be able to forward anything to Shrewsbury? I would not be giving troubles by changing my plans, if I did not feel it was necessary.

My dear Henslow | Ever your’s. C. D.

I have just received a proof which I send in hope it will be back by Saturday. I have kept a duplicate.