Sends news of his movements since Beagle put in at Falmouth. His charts are safe and already being engraved.

Announces his engagement.

Welcomes CD; has tried to find him. May see him in Cambridge. Reminisces about CD’s musical taste and memory. Describes Charles Whitley’s wedding and wife. Mentions friends.

Asks CD’s help in finding a tutor for his son Charles.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Fragment glued to CD’s notes on rock specimens. The recto refers to one of CD’s specimens, the verso mentions his Keeling Island plants.

Apologises for delay in thanking him for the flowers. Has been too unwell to write.

Morning Herald had an account of CD’s 80 specimens of Mammalia and 450 birds at the Zoological Society.

John Gould has described new species in CD’s Galapagos birds.

Much interest in CD’s "Laurels".

Family news.

News of family and friends.

Caroline repeats story told to R. W. Darwin of FitzRoy’s feeling of obligation to Captain John White, from whom he gained release to marry Miss O’Brien.

Fanny Biddulph has had a son.

Interested in Lyell’s address [Proc. Geol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1833–8): 479–523]. Asks what the points are on which CD and Lyell are fully agreed.

Inquires about the paper FitzRoy and CD wrote on missionaries ["Moral state of Tahiti" (1836), Collected papers 1: 19–38].

News of family.

“The Botanists” and “The learned Linguists” give thanks for book and assistance.

Reports on the insect specimens [collected by CD] from Australia, New Zealand, and Tierra del Fuego. Has not completed descriptions.

Sends information about, and dates of treatment of peaty fields. Marl seems to have sunk to the natural stratum of hard white sand which lies below the peat.

Thanks for "Maer Hypothesis" ["Formation of mould" (1840), Collected papers 1: 49–53].

RF declines to give an opinion on the wording of the preface to CD’s volume [Journal and remarks, vol. 3 of Narrative, published separately as Journal of researches] and refers him to a disinterested third party.

CD’s response [missing] comes from the heart. RF explains that CD’s preface [to Journal and remarks, vol. 3 of Narrative] offended him in not acknowledging the part RF and the other officers had in helping CD. Beagle voyage was the first on which officers could have kept any specimens they collected, but they gave preference to CD.

Father says he sowed broom plants soon after house was built in 1798; these never came up. In 1835 the terrace was made; thereafter the broom sprang up.

Advice on a medicine CD is taking.

His work [on vol. 2 of Narrative] is going slowly.

Has no objection to anything in CD’s excellent volume. CD should "entertain no further scruple on that subject".