CHAPTER VII.
GROWTH OF THE “ORIGIN” (continued)—CORRESPONDENCE WITH FRIENDS.
The great periods of Darwin’s scientific career are marked by intimate friendships, which must be taken into account in attempting to trace his mental development. Henslow was his intimate friend at Cambridge and during the voyage of the Beagle. The influence of Lyell, through his writings, was of the utmost importance during the voyage, and was deepened by the close personal contact which took place on Darwin’s return. Sir Joseph Hooker was his most intimate friend during the growth of the “Origin of Species.”
Although Hooker met Darwin in 1839, their friendship did not begin until four years later, when the former returned from the Antarctic Expedition. On January 11th, 1844, Darwin wrote admitting his conclusions on the question of evolution:—“At last gleams of light have come,” he says, “and I am almost convinced (quite contrary to the opinion I started with) that species are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable” (“Life and Letters,” Vol. II. p. 23).
INQUIRIES AND EXPERIMENTS.
From this point onwards his letters, especially to Hooker, indicate the course he was following and the various problems he was considering as they arose. Thus we find that he had finished reading Wollaston’s “Insecta Maderensia” in 1855 (writing March 7th), and had been struck with the very large proportion of wingless beetles, and had interpreted the observation, viz. “that powers of flight would be injurious to insects inhabiting a confined locality, and expose them to be blown to the sea.” It is of great interest thus to witness the origin of a theory which has since been universally accepted, and has received confirmation from many parts of the world.
On April 11th of the same year he is experimenting on the powers of resistance to immersion in salt water possessed by seeds, and he writes an account of it to Hooker. The object of these experiments was to throw light on the means by which plants have been transported to islands.
In the same year began his correspondence with Asa Gray, who soon became one of his warmest friends. He had numerous questions to ask about the geographical range of plants, and in 1857 he wrote explaining in some detail the views at which he had arrived as to the causes of evolution.
My friend Rowland H. Wedgwood, a nephew of Darwin, has given me the following interesting letter to his father, which was written, he believes, probably before 1855. By kind permission, it is here published for the first time. The letter is of great interest, as throwing light upon his work, and also because of this early reference to Huxley:—
“Down, Sept. 5.
“My dear Harry,—I am very much obliged for the Columbine seed and for your note which made us laugh heartily.