My dear Henslow.—

This letter is merely to inform you that I send by H.M.S. Challenger two boxes, with Specimens.— She does not sail from this port till January, & will not arrive in England for at least 4 months afterwards.¹ This letter goes by the Challenger to England.— In one of the Cases, I have given you an account of all our proceedings & future prospects &c &c.— I have also sent a part of my Journal.— would you be kind enough to direct & book it by some Coach to D^r Darwin Shrewsbury.— I did not think of sending it till five minutes before closing the Box, otherwise I would have directed it.— Of course, if you are inclined, you can look at any part of my hum-drum letter-like journal There are three small parcels of seeds; the one in the oblong box I have labelled as coming from T. del Fuego. it comes from Chiloe: (Climate &c &c like T. del Fuego but considerably warmer).— I do not much expect, that any one seed will grow.—

Continue to direct Valparaiso: if you know any person in Liverpool who would post your letters to me by any of the numerous ships to this port I should receive them a couple of months sooner.— in this case, they must be directed to the care of R. Corfield Esq^r.— Yours most truly obliged | Chas. Darwin