Summary

News of friends and family.

Summary

The Royal College of Surgeons’ Board of Curators approve the terms and conditions under which CD has offered his S. American fossil bones to the College, and have sent their recommendation to the Council.

Summary

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

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

They have been reading about the wreck of the Challenger; much impressed by Capt. FitzRoy’s bravery.

The W. D. Foxes have a daughter. Family news.

Summary

News of family and friends, Harriet Martineau’s soirée; funds deposited for him.

Summary

Last four days have been spent calling on naturalists. Geologists have been kind, but zoologists seem to think a number of undescribed creatures a nuisance.

Will send his belongings to Cambridge, but eventually his quarters must be London.

FitzRoy is to be married.

Summary

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

Pleased by Sedgwick’s praise.

Summary

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

Summary

RF has consulted W. J. Broderip, who recommended a joint three-volume publication of Captain King’s journal, FitzRoy’s, and CD’s, with profits divided by three. What does CD think of such a plan? RF promised Colburn an answer in January.

Summary

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

Summary

Dinner at the Hensleigh Wedgwoods’. They have agreed to go over his journal. Henry Holland thinks it not worth publishing alone because it goes over FitzRoy’s ground.

His impressions of Harriet Martineau: "She is overwhelmed with her own projects, her own thoughts and own abilities."

Summary

Arranges to meet CW for conversation.

Summary

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

Summary

Has been presenting wedding gifts to her nieces and nephews during CD’s absence, without asking whether they are ready for them, so she sends him £40.

Caroline says CD has taken a lecture room for his work at Cambridge.

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

Has returned CD’s Beagle journal MS. Thinks it would be an interesting account even if they did not know CD, and that it will be successful if published; the less it is mixed up with FitzRoy’s journal, the better.

Summary

CD’s 27th birthday. News of family and friends. A niece, Mary Susan Parker, born 31 January.

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

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