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

Welcomes CD home; urges him to come to Woodhouse.

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

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.

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.

Declines invitation to dine at Downing College because of influenza.

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

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.

Questions on breeding and habits.

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".

Declines Ray Club dinner; too busy with Zoology.

Thanks JSH for presenting his work to Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Asks him to get an answer from W. H. Miller on specimen of crystallised mineral.

FitzRoy is hard at work on his book [Narrative, vol. 2].

CD’s health is improved.

Describes his visit to zoo.

Gives news of E. A. Darwin and Harriet Martineau.