Charles Darwin: His Life Told in an Autobiographical Chapter, and in a Selected Series of His Published Letters

70

No doubt in allusion to the title of Lord Herbert of Cherbury.

71

Panagæus crux-major.

72

Formerly Reader in Natural Philosophy at Durham University.

73

Blane was afterwards, I believe, in the Life Guards; he was in the Crimean War, and afterwards Military Attaché at St. Petersburg. I am indebted to Mr. Hamilton for information about some of my father's contemporaries.

74

Brother of Lord Sherbrooke.

75

March 18, 1829.

76

The postmark being Derby seems to show that the letter was written from his cousin, W. D. Fox's house, Osmaston, near Derby.

77

The top of the hill immediately behind Barmouth was called Craig-Storm, a hybrid Cambro-English word.

78

Rev. T. Butler, a son of the former head master of Shrewsbury School.

79

No doubt a paid collector.

80

The "Captain" is at the head of the "Poll": the "Apostles" are the last twelve in the Mathematical Tripos.

81

For an explanation of the word "gulfed" or "gulphed," see Mr. W. W. Rouse Balls' interesting History of the Study of Mathematics at Cambridge (1889), p. 160.

82

The Beagle should have started on Nov. 4, but was delayed until Dec. 27.

83

See, too, a sketch by my father of his old master, in the Rev. L. Blomefield's Memoir of Professor Henslow.

84

The copy of Humboldt given by Henslow to my father, which is in my possession, is a double memento of the two men – the author and the donor, who so greatly influenced his life.

85

Formerly Dean of Ely, and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge.

86

Josiah Wedgwood.

87

William Snow Harris, the Electrician.

88

Voyages of the Adventure and Beagle, vol. i. introduction xii. The illustration at the head of the chapter is from vol. ii. of the same work.

89

His other nickname was "The Flycatcher." I have heard my father tell how he overheard the boatswain of the Beagle showing another boatswain over the ship, and pointing out the officers: "That's our first lieutenant; that's our doctor; that's our flycatcher."

90

"There was such a scene here. Wickham (1st Lieutenant) and I were the only two who landed with guns and geological hammers, &c. The birds by myriads were too close to shoot; we then tried stones, but at last, proh pudor! my geological hammer was the instrument of death. We soon loaded the boat with birds and eggs. Whilst we were so engaged, the men in the boat were fairly fighting with the sharks for such magnificent fish as you could not see in the London market. Our boat would have made a fine subject for Snyders, such a medley of game it contained." – From a letter to Herbert.

91

"My mind has been, since leaving England, in a perfect hurricane of delight and astonishment." —C. D. to Fox, May 1832, from Botofogo Bay.

92

The importance of these results has been fully recognized by geologists.

93

Sedgwick wrote (November 7, 1835) to Dr. Butler, the head master of Shrewsbury School: – "He is doing admirable work in South America, and has already sent home a collection above all price. It was the best thing in the world for him that he went out on the voyage of discovery. There was some risk of his turning out an idle man, but his character will now be fixed, and if God spares his life he will have a great name among the naturalists of Europe…" – I am indebted to my friend Mr. J. W. Clark, the biographer of Sedgwick, for the above extract.

94

Compare the following passage from a letter (Aug. 25, 1845) addressed to Lyell, who had touched on slavery in his Travels in North America. "I was delighted with your letter in which you touch on Slavery; I wish the same feelings had been apparent in your published discussion. But I will not write on this subject, I should perhaps annoy you, and most certainly myself. I have exhaled myself with a paragraph or two in my Journal on the sin of Brazilian slavery; you perhaps will think that it is in answer to you; but such is not the case. I have remarked on nothing which I did not hear on the coast of South America. My few sentences, however, are merely an explosion of feeling. How could you relate so placidly that atrocious sentiment about separating children from their parents; and in the next page speak of being distressed at the whites not having prospered; I assure you the contrast made me exclaim out. But I have broken my intention, and so no more on this odious deadly subject." It is fair to add that the "atrocious sentiments" were not Lyell's but those of a planter.