Life and Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II Part 42

The work was continued until April 1, 1874, when he was able to return to his much loved Drosera. He wrote to Mr. Murray:--

"I have at last finished, after above three months as hard work as I have ever had in my life, a corrected edition of the 'Descent,' and I much wish to have it printed off as soon as possible. As it is to be stereotyped I shall never touch it again."

The first of the miscellaneous letters of 1873 refers to a pleasant visit received from Colonel Higginson of Newport, U.S.]

CHARLES DARWIN TO THOS. WENTWORTH HIGGINSON. Down, February 27th [1873].

My dear Sir,

My wife has just finished reading aloud your 'Life with a Black Regiment,' and you must allow me to thank you heartily for the very great pleasure which it has in many ways given us. I always thought well of the negroes, from the little which I have seen of them; and I have been delighted to have my vague impressions confirmed, and their character and mental powers so ably discussed. When you were here I did not know of the n.o.ble position which you had filled. I had formerly read about the black regiments, but failed to connect your name with your admirable undertaking. Although we enjoyed greatly your visit to Down, my wife and myself have over and over again regretted that we did not know about the black regiment, as we should have greatly liked to have heard a little about the South from your own lips.

Your descriptions have vividly recalled walks taken forty years ago in Brazil. We have your collected Essays, which were kindly sent us by Mr.

[Moncure] Conway, but have not yet had time to read them. I occasionally glean a little news of you in the 'Index'; and within the last hour have read an interesting article of yours on the progress of Free Thought.

Believe me, my dear sir, with sincere admiration, Yours very faithfully, CH. DARWIN.

[On May 28th he sent the following answers to the questions that Mr.

Galton was at that time addressing to various scientific men, in the course of the inquiry which is given in his 'English Men of Science, their Nature and Nurture,' 1874. With regard to the questions my father wrote, "I have filled up the answers as well as I could, but it is simply impossible for me to estimate the degrees." For the sake of convenience, the questions and answers relating to "Nurture" are made to precede those on "Nature":

NURTURE.

EDUCATION?

How taught? I consider that all I have learnt of any value has been sel-taught.

Conducive to or restrictive of habits of observation? Restrictive of observation, being almost entirely cla.s.sical.

Conducive to health or otherwise? Yes.

Peculiar merits? None whatever.

Chief omissions? No mathematics or modern languages, nor any habits of observation or reasoning.

RELIGION.

Has the religious creed taught in your youth had any deterrent effect on the freedom of your researches? No.

SCIENTIFIC TASTES.

Do your scientific tastes appear to have been innate? Certainly innate.

Were they determined by any and what events? My innate taste for natural history strongly confirmed and directed by the voyage in the "Beagle".

NATURE.

Specify any interests that have been very actively pursued. Science, and field sports to a pa.s.sionate degree during youth.

(C.D. = CHARLES DARWIN, R.D. = ROBERT DARWIN, his father.)

RELIGION?

C.D.--Nominally to Church of England. R.D.--Nominally to Church of England.

POLITICS?

C.D.--Liberal or Radical. R.D.--Liberal.

HEALTH?

C.D.--Good when young--bad for last 33 years. R.D.--Good throughout life, except from gout.

HEIGHT, ETC?

C.D.--6ft. Figure, etc.?--Spare, whilst young rather stout.

Measurement round inside of hat?--22 1/4 in. Colour of Hair?--Brown.

Complexion?--Rather sallow. R.D.--6ft. 2 in. Figure, etc?--Very broad and corpulent. Colour of hair? --Brown. Complexion?--Ruddy.

TEMPERAMENT?

C.D.--Somewhat nervous. R.D.--Sanguine.

ENERGY OF BODY, ETC.?

C.D.--Energy shown by much activity, and whilst I had health, power of resisting fatigue. I and one other man were alone able to fetch water for a large party of officers and sailors utterly prostrated. Some of my expeditions in S. America were adventurous. An early riser in the morning. R.D.--Great power of endurance although feeling much fatigue, as after consultations after long journeys; very active--not restless--very early riser, no travels. My father said his father suffered much from sense of fatigue, that he worked very hard.

ENERGY OF MIND, ETC.?

C.D.--Shown by rigorous and long-continued work on same subject, as 20 years on the 'Origin of Species,' and 9 years on 'Cirripedia.'

R.D.--Habitually very active mind--shown in conversation with a succession of people during the whole day.

MEMORY?

C.D.--Memory very bad for dates, and for learning by rote; but good in retaining a general or vague recollection of many facts. R.D.--Wonderful memory for dates. In old age he told a person, reading aloud to him a book only read in youth, the pa.s.sages which were coming--knew the birthdays and death, etc., of all friends and acquaintances.

STUDIOUSNESS?

C.D.--Very studious, but not large acquirements. R.D.--Not very studious or mentally receptive, except for facts in conversation--great collector of anecdotes.

INDEPENDENCE OF JUDGMENT?

C.D.--I think fairly independent; but I can give no instances. I gave up common religious belief almost independently from my own reflections.

R.D.--Free thinker in religious matters. Liberal, with rather a tendency to Toryism.

ORIGINALITY OR ECCENTRICITY?