My dear Darwin

I was sorry to see that your health did not allow you to go to Oxford to recieve the honor intended for you, and the almost unanimous expression of feeling with which it would have been accompanied—¹ I hope it was merely fear of the excitement, that prevented your going, and not that your health is too bad to take the journey— I foolishly did myself much harm lately by want of care. I had felt better though my head was not well; and I went to town for two or three days returning by Portsmouth to stay two or three days, and see my old friend the admiral,² there as well as some of the new ships. I returned pretty well and therefore fancied my head was strong enough a few days after to go up to a ball at Buckingham Palace.³ I felt pretty well for the two hours I was talking to old friends & seeing the sights, but when I returned to the hotel could not sleep & by the morning was so ill with pain in the head, fainting feelings &c, that I could hardly stand & with difficulty got to the train the next forenoon to come home, having given my-self a severe shake— I have never been so ill before as I was for some hours. and I have felt the effects ever since. I hope if well enough to go with my wife to see some of our relatives in July and August—

I hope M^rs. Darwin and all your party are well, I think I saw that another of your boys had passed well at Woolwich—⁴ What a comfort to you to see them all doing so well. My youngest has lately gone into a good City House as clerk, and seems doing well. He lives at Blackheath.⁵ My youngest daughter was lately married to a M^r. Trench—& is in a fair way I think to a really happy marriage, for he is a fine intelligent, young man who after starting with his relative in the Irish agency line—went cruising over the world for several years: during which he made one journey I think quite new.⁶ He started in land from Pernambuco. went straight through the Indian Country to the Andes & so reached Lima. He has now a lucrative occupation in Westminster;

I enclose you a prospectus of our small Natural History society lately started here, we hope in time to get up a small museum and Lecture Hall. M^r. Mitchell who came here to work the fossil leaf beds helped to set it going and I hope it will excite some interest that may be lasting.⁷ Our only Honorary Member yet is Sir C Lyell⁸—and we should be very glad indeed if you will allow us to add your name. I fear we have not much science of the right sort yet— M^r. Austen⁹ is our only real geologist I believe, But M^r. Sanders & M^r Baldry¹⁰ are both Cambridge men of good position, and thorough ability

The only one of our old party that I have seen for some time is Hamond¹¹ who was here at our wedding. I hear from Mellersh & Usborne¹² occasionally. I hope you have followed our movements in Tierra Del Fuego with the Mission, our Missionary—now Bishop of Falklands for the oversight of all South America—(M^r. Stirling) took the bold step of living six months alone with the Natives in Beagle channel (the schooner visiting him twice) to test the safety—and the result decided the Committee to plant a Mission there at once.¹³ The Natives that had been at Keppel Island though some were scattered & living near the entrance to Murray Narrows—had influence enough to protect him & to take care of his stores & provisions—divided between four or five huts—without losing a thing. He found on the north shore right opposite to the Murray Narrows a nice little peninsula with a good cove & some clear land. & there is to be the station   a clergyman & catechist with their wives and one other assistant are going to live there with some friendly Natives round. They are quite alive to growing potatoes &c and taking care of their goats. and one who with his wife lives at the Murray Narrows has a good garden & goats &c. they keep their house as neat and clean and themselves and children as nicely clothed & clean as Europeans.— Already one shipwrecked crew, though not near there, have been treated kindly by Natives.¹⁴

My wife joins me in kind regards to M^rs. Darwin and yourself with all your party.

Believe me Dear Darwin | Yours very sincerely | B. J. Sulivan