Summary

[Excised fragment only.] "I am greedy for facts.—"

Summary

Arranges to meet CW for conversation.

Summary

Finds the voyage tedious at present.

Expects that the different scientific societies will be of the greatest use to his work in London when he returns home.

Gives some impressions of Australia.

Summary

Happily home, he sends thanks to his "first Lord of the Admiralty". Will visit Maer in two or three weeks.

Summary

CD’s impressions of Sydney and of FitzRoy’s character and temperament.

Summary

Asks JSH to propose him for Geological Society. His meeting with Sir John Herschel and Andrew Smith at Cape of Good Hope.

Summary

Has written to Royal College of Surgeons, exactly as RO recommended, concerning disposition of his South American fossil bones. He fixed on the British Museum, rather than Paris, to receive plaster casts, because he was on board a King’s ship. Suggests RO propose another set for Paris, where they would be more useful than at BM. Has scarcely begun unpacking his cases.

Summary

Alerts JSH to boxes of specimens and letter of 30 Oct on the way by wagon.

Thomas Bell has expressed interest in CD’s Crustacea and reptiles.

CD’s ignorance about his botanical specimens embarrasses him.

Asks whether JSH is disappointed with Galapagos plants.

Summary

In five days of geologising on St Helena, he found that the shells on high land had been mistakenly identified as seashells. They are land shells, but of species no longer living.

Can think of nothing but the return to England and his family.

Summary

All prefer Hobart Town and its society to Sydney. CD’s view on emigration to colonies. All on board are homesick.

Summary

CD informs PPK of his impending arrival at Dunheved, Penrith; news of his journey thus far.

Summary

CD describes his happy home-coming. Finds his family and Shrewsbury unchanged.

Summary

His fossil bones are unpacked and some are great treasures. He has some geology to do: R. I. Murchison has lent him a map and asked him to look at a part of the country he has been describing.

Their only protection against having Harriet Martineau as sister-in-law is that she works Erasmus too hard.

Summary

CD in London to meet with naturalists about his collections. Lyell and Owen are helpful, but no one else, except R. E. Grant, seems to want to examine his specimens.

Summary

His joy at being home. Anxious to see JSH for advice on his geological specimens.

Summary

"Mr Darwin presents his compliments to the Master & Fellows of Caius Coll. and is extremely sorry he is prevented by a previous engagement the honor of dining with them on Thursday."

Summary

Sends JDH note on adaptation of an Australian Compositae for dispersal in dry climate. Is it too trivial to publish? [Collected papers 2: 36–8].

Summary

Beagle is again in Brazil because of need to check on "singular disagreements in the Longitudes".

Pleased by Sedgwick’s praise.

Summary

Keeling Islands, his first coral lagoons; he has been occupied with subject of coral formation for six months.

Very busy at sea rewriting old geological notes. Has difficulties with writing.

FitzRoy has proposed joint account of the journey, combining CD’s journal with his own.

Looks forward with anxiety to Henslow’s reaction to the geological notes.

Summary

Will call on Sir J. Herschel, then take short trip in the African desert.

Horrified at the publication of "the little book of extracts" from his letters to Henslow ["Letters to Professor Henslow" (1835), Collected papers 1: 3–16].