darwin and modern science-第124章
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sail for the Galapagos Islands。 I look forward with joy and interest to this； both as being somewhat nearer to England and for the sake of having a good look at an active volcano。 Although we have seen lava in abundance； I have never yet beheld the crater。〃 （〃M。L。〃 I。 page 26。） He could little anticipate； as he wrote these lines； the important aid in the solution of the 〃species question〃 that would ever after make his visit to the Galapagos Islands so memorable。 In 1832； as we have seen； the great discovery of the relations of living to extinct mammals in the same area had dawned upon his mind； in 1835 he was to find a second key for opening up the great mystery； by recognising the variations of similar types in adjoining islands among the Galapagos。
The final chapter in the second volume of the 〃Principles〃 had aroused in Darwin's mind a desire to study coral…reefs； which was gratified during his voyage across the Pacific and Indian Oceans。 His theory on the subject was suggested about the end of 1834 or the beginning of 1835； as he himself tells us； before he had seen a coral…reef； and resulted from his work during two years in which he had 〃been incessantly attending to the effects on the shores of South America of the intermittent elevation of the land； together with denudation and the deposition of sediment。〃 （〃L。L。〃 I。 page 70。）
On arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in July； 1836； Darwin was greatly gratified by hearing that Sedgwick had spoken to his father in high terms of praise concerning the work done by him in South America。 Referring to the news from home； when he reached Bahia once more； on the return voyage （August； 1836）； he says： 〃The desert； volcanic rocks； and wild sea of Ascension。。。suddenly wore a pleasing aspect； and I set to work with a good… will at my old work of Geology。〃 （〃L。L。〃 I。 page 265。） Writing fifty years later； he says： 〃I clambered over the mountains of Ascension with a bounding step and made the volcanic rocks resound under my geological hammer！〃 （〃L。L。〃 I。 page 66。）
That his determination was now fixed to devote his own labours to the task of working out the geological results of the voyage； and that he was prepared to leave to more practised hands the study of his biological collections； is clear from the letters he sent home at this time。 From St Helena he wrote to Henslow asking that he would propose him as a Fellow of the Geological Society； and his Certificate； in Henslow's handwriting； is dated September 8th； 1836； being signed from personal knowledge by Henslow and Sedgwick。 He was proposed on November 2nd and elected November 30th； being formally admitted to the Society by Lyell； who was then President； on January 4th； 1837； on which date he also read his first paper。 Darwin did not become a Fellow of the Linnean Society till eighteen years later （in 1854）。
An estimate of the value and importance of Darwin's geological discoveries during the voyage of the 〃Beagle〃 can best be made when considering the various memoirs and books in which the author described them。 He was too cautious to allow himself to write his first impressions in his Journal； and wisely waited till he could study his specimens under better conditions and with help from others on his return。 The extracts published from his correspondence with Henslow and others； while he was still abroad； showed； nevertheless； how great was the mass of observation； how suggestive and pregnant with results were the reasonings of the young geologist。
Two sets of these extracts from Darwin's letters to Henslow were printed while he was still abroad。 The first of these was the series of 〃Geological Notes made during a survey of the East and West Coasts of South America； in the years 1832； 1833； 1834 and 1835； with an account of a transverse section of the Cordilleras of the Andes between Valparaiso and Mendoza〃。 Professor Sedgwick； who read these notes to the Geological Society on November 18th； 1835； stated that 〃they were extracted from a series of letters （addressed to Professor Henslow）； containing a great mass of information connected with almost every branch of natural history；〃 and that he （Sedgwick） had made a selection of the remarks which he thought would be more especially interesting to the Geological Society。 An abstract of three pages was published in the 〃Proceedings of the Geological Society〃 （Vol。 II。 pages 210…12。）； but so unknown was the author at this time that he was described as F。 Darwin； Esq。； of St John's College； Cambridge〃！ Almost simultaneously （on November 16th； 1835） a second set of extracts from these lettersthis time of a general characterwere read to the Philosophical Society at Cambridge； and these excited so much interest that they were privately printed in pamphlet form for circulation among the members。
Many expeditions and 〃scientific missions〃 have been despatched to various parts of the world since the return of the 〃Beagle〃 in 1836； but it is doubtful whether any； even the most richly endowed of them； has brought back such stores of new information and fresh discoveries as did that little 〃ten…gun brig〃certainly no cabin or laboratory was the birth…place of ideas of such fruitful character as was that narrow end of a chart…room； where the solitary naturalist could climb into his hammock and indulge in meditation。
The third and most active portion of Darwin's career as a geologist was the period which followed his return to England at the end of 1836。 His immediate admission to the Geological Society； at the beginning of 1837； coincided with an important crisis in the history of geological science。
The band of enthusiasts who nearly thirty years before had inaugurated the Geological Societyweary of the fruitless conflicts between 〃Neptunists〃 and 〃Plutonists〃had determined to eschew theory and confine their labours to the collection of facts； their publications to the careful record of observations。 Greenough； the actual founder of the Society； was an ardent Wernerian； and nearly all his fellow…workers had come； more or less directly； under the Wernerian teaching。 Macculloch alone gave valuable support to the Huttonian doctrines； so far as they related to the influence of igneous activitybut the most important portion of the now celebrated 〃Theory of the Earth〃that dealing with the competency of existing agencies to account for changes in past geological timeswas ignored by all alike。 Macculloch's influence on the development of geology； which might have had far…reaching effects； was to a great extent neutralised by his peculiarities of mind and temper； and； after a stormy and troublous career； he retired from the society in 1832。 In all the writings of the great pioneers in English geology； Hutton and his splendid generalisation are scarcely ever referred to。 The great doctrines of Uniformitarianism； which he had foreshadowed； were completely ignored； and only his extravagances of 〃anti…Wernerianism〃 seem to have been remembered。
When between 1830 and 1832； Lyell； taking up the almost forgotten ideas of Hutton； von Hoff and Prevost； published that bold challenge to the Catastrophiststhe 〃Principles of Geology〃he was met with the strongest opposition； not only from the outside world； which was amused by his 〃absurdities〃 and shocked by his 〃impiety〃but not less from his fellow… workers and friends in the Geological Society。 For Lyell's numerous original observations； and his diligent collection of facts his contemporaries had nothing but admiration； and they cheerfully admitted him to the highest offices in the society； but they met his reasonings on geological theory with vehement opposition and his conclusions with coldness and contempt。
There is； indeed； a very striking parallelism between the reception of the 〃Principles of Geology〃 by Lyell's contemporaries and the manner in which the 〃Origin of Species〃 was met a quarter of a century later； as is so vividly described by Huxley。 （〃L。L。〃 II。 pages 179…204。） Among Lyell's fellow…geologists； two onlyG。 Poulett Scrope and John Herschel （Both Lyell and Darwin fully realised the value of the support of these two friends。 Scrope in his appreciative reviews of the 〃Principles〃 justly pointed out
