In May and June, 1842, during a visit to Maer and Shrewsbury, he wrote his first "pencil sketch of Species theory," but not until two years later (1844) did he venture to enlarge this to one of 230 folio pages, "a wonderfully complete presentation of the arguments familiar to us in the 'Origin.'"[19]
Already, in addition to the mass of facts collected, Darwin was busy with some of the experiments which he described in a letter to Sir Joseph Hooker (in 1855) as affording the latter a "good right to sneer, for they are so absurd, even in my opinion, that I dare not tell you." While a sentence in another letter (dated 1849) throws a sidelight on all this preparatory work: "In your letter you wonder what 'ornamental poultry' has to do with barnacles; but do [pg 104]not flatter yourself that I shall not yet live to finish the barnacles, and then make a fool of myself on the subject of species, under which head ornamental poultry are very interesting."
Somewhere about this time (1842-44), Darwin, referring to the idea of Natural Selection which arose in his mind after reading Malthus on "Population" four years earlier, continues: "But at that time I overlooked one problem of great importance ... the tendency in organic beings descended from the same stock to diverge in character as they become modified ... and I can remember the very spot in the road, whilst in my carriage, when to my joy the solution occurred to me.... The solution, as I believe, is that the modified offspring of all dominant and increasing forms tend to become adapted to many and highly diversified places in the economy of nature."[20]
So convinced was he of the truth of his ideas as expressed in the 1844 MS., that immediately after its completion he wrote the memorable letter to Mrs. Darwin telling her what he would wish done regarding its publication in the event of his death.
It was probably about two years later (1846) that he first confided his completed work—up to that date—to Sir Joseph Hooker, and later to Sir Charles Lyell; refraining, however, except in general conversation with other scientists, from informing anyone of the progress he was making towards a positive solution of the problem. His attitude of mind and manner at this period is happily illustrated by Huxley, who, speaking of his early acquaintance with Darwin, says: "I remember in the course of my first interview with Darwin expressing my belief in the sharpness of the line of demarcation between natural groups and in the absence of transitional forms, with all the confidence [pg 105]of youth and imperfect knowledge. I was not aware, at that time, that he had then been many years brooding over the Species question; and the humorous smile which accompanied his gentle answer, that such was not altogether his view, long haunted and puzzled me."
Little did Charles Darwin dream that, only three years after this first MS. was written (in 1844), a youthful naturalist—known only as a surveyor at Neath—was deliberately pondering over the same issue, and writing to his only scientific friend on the subject. As, however, the different methods of thought by which they arrived at the same conclusion is so aptly related by Wallace himself, we will leave it for him to tell the story in its appointed place.[21]
In 1856, the year following the appearance of Wallace's essay in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, both Hooker and Lyell urged Darwin to publish the result of his long and patient research. But he was still reluctant to do so, not having as yet satisfied himself with regard to certain conclusions which, he felt, must be stoutly maintained in face of the enormous amount of criticism which would arise immediately his theory was launched on the scientific world. And thus the event was postponed until the memorable year 1858.
Up to the year 1856 no correspondence had passed between Wallace and Darwin, so far, at least, as the former could remember, for he says, in a letter dated Frith Hill, Godalming, December 3, 1887 (written to Mr. A. Newton): "I had hardly heard of Darwin before going to the East, except as connected with the voyage of the Beagle.... I saw him once for a few minutes in the British Museum before I sailed. Through Stevens, my agent, I heard that he wanted curious varieties which he was studying. I think I wrote about some varieties of ducks I had sent, [pg 106]and he must have written once to me.... But at that time I had not the remotest notion that he had already arrived at a definite theory—still less that it was the same as occurred to me, suddenly, in Ternate in 1858." It is clear, therefore, that the essay written at Sarawak formed the first real link with Darwin, although not fully recognised at the time. In May, 1857, Darwin wrote to Wallace: "I am much obliged for your letter ... and even still more by your paper in the Annals, a year or more ago. I can plainly see that we have thought much alike and to a certain extent have come to similar conclusions.... I agree to almost every word of your paper; and I dare say that you will agree with me that it is very rare to find oneself agreeing pretty closely with any theoretical paper." He concludes: "You have my very sincere and cordial good wishes for success of all kinds, and may all your theories succeed, except that on Oceanic Islands, on which subject I will do battle to the death."
The three years from 1855 to 1858 were for Wallace crowded with hard work, and perilous voyages by sea and hardships by land. January, 1858, found him at Amboyna, where, in all probability, he found a pile of long-delayed correspondence awaiting him, and among this a letter from Bates referring to the article which had appeared in print September, 1855. In reply he says: "To persons who have not thought much on the subject I fear my paper on the 'Succession of Species' will not appear so clear as it does to you. That paper is, of course, merely the announcement of the theory, not its development. I have prepared the plan and written portions of a work embracing the whole subject, and have endeavoured to prove in detail what I have as yet only indicated.... I have been much gratified by a letter from Darwin, in which he says [pg 107]that he agrees with 'almost every word' of my paper. He is now preparing his great work on 'Species and Varieties,' for which he has been preparing materials for twenty years. He may save me the trouble of writing more on my hypothesis, by proving that there is no difference in nature between the origin of species and of varieties; or he may give me trouble by arriving at another conclusion; but, at all events, his facts will be given for me to work upon. Your collections and my own will furnish most valuable material to illustrate and prove the universal application of the hypothesis. The connection between the succession of affinities and the geographical distribution of a group, worked out species by species, has never yet been shown as we shall be able to show it."
"This letter proves," writes Wallace,[22] "that at this time I had not the least idea of the nature of Darwin's proposed work nor of the definite conclusions he had arrived at, nor had I myself any expectations of a complete solution of the great problem to which my paper was merely the prelude. Yet less than two months later that solution flashed upon me, and to a large extent marked out a different line of work from that which I had up to this time anticipated.... In other parts of this letter I refer to the work I hoped to do myself in describing, cataloguing, and working out the distribution of my insects. I had in fact been bitten by the passion for species and their description, and if neither Darwin nor myself had hit upon 'Natural Selection,' I might have spent the best years of my life in this comparatively profitless work. But the new ideas swept all this away."