Dear Covington,—

I was very much pleased a couple of months ago to receive your very interesting letter of June, 1851, with an account just such as I liked to hear of your present state and prospects and of the general condition of the Colony.² You mention in your letter the discovery of gold, but since then you have had the wonderful Geelong beds discovered.³ Have you carried your plan into execution of going to trade at the gold mines? If you have and are returned and could spare an evening, it would amuse me much to hear what you saw there and how the people behave. Many people are proud in England at hearing that you Australians have behaved wonderfully better than the Californians.⁴ Is this so? or is all the world alike when tempted by gold? I had a note two days ago from your brother, Mr. B. Covington,⁵ of ‘28, Harding-street, Windsor, Liverpoool,’ saying that he was very anxious to hear news of you; so as there was nothing in your letter to me which you could have disliked any one seeing I sent it to him. My life and pursuits are so uniform that I have really no news to tell you of myself. I have published one book on Barnacles, and am going to publish a second volume, and quite lately I have been examining some of the specimens you sent me, and very useful and interesting they proved.⁶ My health keeps indifferent. The only officer of the Beagle that I have seen for several years is Captain Sulivan, who paid me a visit on his return lately from the Falkland Islands, where he and three other gentlemen have set up a large cattle farm, and hope it will answer very well.⁷ With my best wishes for your prosperity and happiness, believe me your friend, | CHARLES DARWIN