From: Charles Darwin, Bowlby, 1990

He got a room in the College: the window above the little gate and the window on its left belonged to his chamber. He was not really religious, but he thought this needn't be a problem if he would behave hinself properly in accordance to the rules. However, it turned out to be the same situation as it was in Edinburgh: the study in theology didn't interest him and he devoted himself to the study of nature and he also participated intensely in the pleasant life as a student. He practised horseriding and hunting, for these were his favourite activities. He collected beetles fanatically, about which the following story is known: at a beetle hunting trip he had caught two fine specimens, one in either hand. At that moment he saw another, important one. Putting one of the two beetles in his mouth seemed the only possibility. However, this one panicked and secreted a very bitter fluid and so Darwin lost all three of his beetles.

The most important man in his Cambridge period was undoubtedly Professor Henslow, a botanist. They became close friends and they were walking together so often that Darwin got the nickname 'the man who walks with Henslow'. In this way Darwin got his botanical training, comparable with his training in lower animals which he had acquired from Grant. Henslow gave Darwin the travel reports of the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt, which had a great influence on him. He became very keen on travelling after reading these. Know more? John Stevens Henslow

Darwin 9

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