Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

viii PREFACE. I shall ever feel most thankful for the undeviating kindness with which I was treated, during our long voyage. The present volume contains in the form of a journal, a sketch of those observations in Geology and Natural History, which I thought would possess some general interest. As it was originally intended to have preceded any more detailed account, and as its publication has been unavoidably delayed, the brief- ness and imperfection of several parts, I hope, will be excused. I have given a list of those errata (partly caused by my absence from town when some of the sheets were in the press) which affect the sense ; and have added an Appendix, containing som^ additional facts (especially on the theory of the trans- portation of erratic blocks) which I have accidentally met with during the past year. I hope shortly to publish my geological observations ; the first Part of which will be on the Volcanic Islands of the Atlaniic and Pacific Oceans, and on Coral Formations ; and the second Part will treat of South America. Several numbers of the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, due to the disinterested zeal of several of our first naturalists, have already appeared. These works could not have been undertaken, had it not been for the liberality of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, who, through the representation of the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer, have been pleased to grant a sum of one