Volume I Part 31 (1/2)
There have been great fears that his heart is affected; but, I hope to God, without foundation Hooker's book (Sir J Hooker's 'Hiot up He has honouredit to e 112 of the Barnacles, and that is the sum total of my history
By-the-way, as you care soletter fro decidedly republican froreat and novel scheold are planned and executed by these o-a-head nation it is! Give my kindest remembrances to Lady Lyell, and to Mrs Bunbury, and to Bunbury I most heartily wish that the Canariesas Madeira, and that everything o on most prosperously with your whole party
My dear Lyell, Yours most truly and affectionately, C DARWIN
CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Down, March 1st [1854]
My dear Hooker,
I finished yesterday evening the first volu produced a FIRST-CLass book ('Himalayan Journal')--a book which certainly will last I cannot doubt that it will take its place as a standard, not so ives a picture of the whole country One can feel that one has seen it (and desperately uncoes and steep slopes), and one REALISES all the great Physical features You have in truth reason to be proud; consider ho travellers there have been with a profound knowledge of one subject, and who could in addition make a map (which, by-the-way, is one of the ht on your head), and study geology and ht I knew you very well, but I had not the least idea that your Travels were your hobby; but I alad of it, for I feel sure that the time will never come when you and Mrs Hooker will not be proud to look back at the labour bestowed on these beautiful volu, has interestedhts and aspirations
All that you say ratified by the Dedication; but you, bad ht Lyell would like the work to be dedicated to hily I answered, and I presume you wanted to knohat I should feel; whoever would have drealad you have shown a little bit of ambition about your Journal, for youh, at the same ti so free (too free, as I have always thought) of this ”last infirmity of, etc”
Do not say, ”there never was a past hitherto to me--the phantom was always in view,” for you will soon find other phanto, and did formerly still more vividly; but I think my stomach has much deadened e
I a letter, but I must return to the Journals, about which I have hardly said anything in detail Imprimis, the illustrations and maps appear to me the best I have ever seen; the style seems to me everywhere perfectly clear (how rare a virtue), and soes really eloquent How excellently you have described the upper valleys, and how detestable their climate; I felt quite anxious on the slopes of Kinchin that dreadful snowy night Nothing has astonished th; and all those devilish bridges!
Well, thank goodness! It is not VERY likely that I shall ever go to the Himalaya Much in a scientific point of view has interested me, especially all about those wonderful moraines I certainly think I quite realise the valleys,seen the valleys of Tahiti I cannot doubt that the Hi water, and that they have been subjected to such action longer than any mountains (as yet described) in the world What a contrast with the Andes!
Perhaps you would like to hear the very little that I can say per contra, and this only applied to the beginning, in which (as it struck et to Mirzapore on the Ganges (but the Thugs were MOST interesting), where the streaer sentences and longer facts and discussions, etc In another edition (and I ahted to hear that Murray has sold all off), I would consider whether this part could not be condensed Even if the y was put in foot-notes, I think it would be an iainst me, but it makes me very unhappy to see the Latin nalish names in Roman type; but I must bear this burden, for all men of Science seem to think it would corrupt the Latin to dress it up in the salish Well, I am very proud of MY book; but there is one bore, that I do notpeople whether they have seen it, and how they like it, for I feel so much identified with it, that such questions become rather personal Hence, I cannot tell you the opinion of others You will have seen a fairly good review in the 'Athenaeum'
What capital news from Tasmania: it really is a very remarkable and creditable fact to the Colony (This refers to an unsolicited grant by the Colonial Government towards the expenses of Sir J Hooker's 'Flora of Tas veritable castles in the air about e, and Tasmania has been my head-quarters of late; so that I feel very proud of htful fact, contrasted with the slight appreciation of science in the old country I thank you heartily for your letter this ivenhowdedicated it to soood in the eyes of the world Ah, my dear Hooker, you were very soft on this head, and justify what I say about not caring enough for your own faood opinion Farewell
How pleasantly Mrs Hooker and you ain farewell: I have written a wonderfully long letter Adios, and God bless you
My dear Hooker, ever yours, C DARWIN
PS--I have just looked overletter; I see that I have not at all expressedadmiration at the amount of scientific work, in so rand You have a right to rest on your oars; or even to say, if it so pleases you, that ”your meridian is past;” but well assured do I feel that the day of your reputation and general recognition has only just begun to dawn
[In September, 1854, his Cirripede as practically finished, and he wrote to Dr Hooker:
”I have been frittering away my time for the last several weeks in a weariso ten thousand Barnacles out of the house all over the world But I shall now in a day or two begin to look over my old notes on species What a deal I shall have to discuss with you; I shall have to look sharp that I do not 'progress' into one of the greatest bores in life, to the few like you with lots of knowledge”]
CHAPTER 1X -- THE GROWTH OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES'
[The growth of the 'Origin of Species' has been briefly described in iven in the present and following chapters will illustrate and amplify the history thus sketched out]
It is clear that in the early part of the voyage of the ”Beagle” he did not feel it inconsistent with his views to express hienesis of new species Thus in 1834 he wrote (MS Journals, page 468) at Valparaiso: ”I have already found beds of recent shells yet retaining their colour at an elevation of 1300 feet, and beneath, the level country is streith them It seems not a very i to none having been created since this country was raised froe does not occur in the published 'Journal,' the last proof of which was finished in 1837; and this fact har in his views But in the published 'Journal' we find passages which show a point of view ical natural history than with his later views
Thus, in speaking of the birds Synallaxis and Scytalopus (1st edition page 353; 2nd edition page 289), he says: ”When finding, as in this case, any anireat scheme of nature, one is apt to wonder why a distinct species should have been created”