Darwin Correspondence Project

Cambridge

31 Augt 1833

My dear Darwin,

I am afraid that I have been rather negligent in not writing sooner to announce the arrival of your last Cargo which came safe to hand excepting a few articles in the Cask of Spirits which are spoiled, owing to the spirit having escaped thro' the bung-hole— I am now in possession of your letter of last April, which has stirred me up to send you off a few books which I thought might interest you, & I have (or rather shall) write to your Brother to recommend one or two more— The fossil portions of the Megatherium turned out to be extremely interesting as serving to illustrate certain parts of the animal which the specimens formerly received in this country & in France had failed to do. Buckland & Clift exhibited them at the Geological Section (what this means you will learn from the Report I send you)— & I have just received a letter from Clift requesting me to forward the whole to him, that he may pick them out carefully repair them, get them figured, & return them to me with a description of what they are & how far they serve to illustrate the ostuology of the Great Beast— This I shall do in another week when I return again to Cambridge—for I am staying at present at Ely & am here merely on Saturday for L. Jenyn's duty tomorrow he having been unwell & advised not to take duty at present— I have popped the various animals that were in the Keg into fresh spirits in jars & placed them in my cellar— The more delicate things as insects, skins &c. I keep at my own house, with the precaution of putting camphor into the boxes— The plants delight me exceedingly, tho' I have not yet made them out—but with Hooker's work & help I hope to do so before long— I never thought of putting your name down to a Tablet we have been erecting to poor Ramsay's memory in Jesus Chapel till lately— As the list has not yet appeared I have ventured to do so for 21/-- I propose having an engraving (I think I told you) from an excellent likeness which Miss Jenyns made for me—& this I shall let the subscribers to the Tablet have at whatever the cost price may be, about 10/ or 12/-- probably— I am sure from your respect for R's memory I have not done wrong in putting down your name— The comet you speak of is expected in 1835, according to calculation—but it seems very doubtful whether the calculation is correct— The papers of course talk nonsense about it, but it is really something out of the ordinary cometical occurrences— Mrs Henslow produced me a fine girl on June 23, the day before the Association met— It proved quite a breeding week with the Cambridge Ladies Mrs Clark & Mrs Willis being confined within a day or two of the same time— I long as much as you do to see the day when we shall be discussing the various events of your voyage together, but I hope also that there is much yet to arrive before you bend your way home again. Not but what I wd. have you return immediately if you are really tired out—but you remember how we used to talk of the certainty of many an annoyance that must arrive, & many a wish to be home again— If you propose returning before the whole period of the voyage expires, don't make up your mind in a hurry—but let it be a steady thought for at least a month without one single desire to continue—& if such an event should occur you may fairly conclude that you are sick of the expedition—but I suspect you will always find something to keep up your courage— Send home every scrap of Megatherium skull you can set your eyes upon.—& all fossils. Use your sweeping net well for I foresee that your minute insects will nearly all turn out new— (I must write on now to the end as I have transgressed the limits)— I have turned Entomologist myself this summer for my little girls who have started a collection of Insects & Shells—& make me work for them— Poor Stephens has just lost 400£ in a Law suit & we are levying a subscription to help him on with his Illustrations— I delight in your descriptions of the few animals you now & then allude to—

Believe me | affecty. yrs. | J. S. Henslow