in the University of Edinburgh, a boy). He has changed
his lodgings for the third time; he has got very cheap ones, but I am
afraid it will not answer, for they must make up by cheating. I hope
you like Erasmus' official news, he means to begin every letter so. You
mentioned in your letter that Emma was staying with you: if she is
not gone, ask her to tell Jos that I have not succeeded in getting any
titanium, but that I will try again...I want to know how old I shall be
next birthday--I believe 17, and if so, I shall be forced to go abroad
for one year, since it is necessary that I shall have completed my 21st
year before I take my degree. Now you have no business to be frowning
and puzzling over this letter, for I did not promise to write a good
hand to you.

LETTER 3. TO J.S. HENSLOW.

(3/1. Extracts from Darwin's letters to Henslow were read before the
Cambridge Philosophical Society on November 16th, 1835. Some of the
letters were subsequently printed, in an 8vo pamphlet of 31 pages, dated
December 1st, 1835, for private distribution among the members of the
Society. A German translation by W. Preyer appeared in the "Deutsche
Rundschau," June 1891.)

[15th August, 1832. Monte Video.]

We are now beating up the Rio Plata, and I take the opportunity of
beginning a letter to you. I did not send off the specimens from Rio
Janeiro, as I grudged the time it would take to pack them up. They are
now ready to be sent off and most probably go by this packet. If so they
go to Falmouth (where Fitz-Roy has made arrangements) and so will not
trouble your brother's agent in London. When I left England I was not
fully aware how essential a kindness you offered me when you undertook
to receive my boxes. I do not know what I should do without such
head-quarters. And now for an apologetical prose about my collection: I
am afraid you will say it is very small, but I have not been idle, and
you must recollect what a very small show hundreds of species make. The
box contains a good many geological specimens; I am well aware that the
greater number are too small. But I maintain that no person has a right
to accuse me, till he has tried carrying rocks under a tropical sun.
I have endeavoured to get specimens of every variety of rock, and have
written notes upon all. If you think it worth your while to examine
any of them I shall be very glad of some mineralogical information,
especially on any numbers between 1 and 254 which include