72 THE UNFINISHED BOOK. [1856. 



nineteen years' collection, that it would take me at least a 

 year to go over and classify them." 



Nov. 1856. "Sometimes I fear I shall break down, for my 

 subject gets bigger and bigger with each month's work."] 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, 1 6th [June, 1856]. 



My DEAR LYELL, I am going to do the most impudent 

 thing in the world. But my blood gets hot with passion and 

 turns cold alternately at the geological strides, which many 

 of your disciples are taking. 



Here, poor Forbes made a continent to [i.e. extending to] 

 North America and another (or the same) to the Gulf weed ; 

 Hooker makes one from New Zealand to South America and 

 round the World to Kerguelen Land. Here is Wollaston 

 speaking of Madeira and P. Santo " as the sure and certain 

 witnesses of a former continent." Here is Woodward writes 

 to me, if you grant a continent over 200 or 300 miles of ocean 

 depths (as if that was nothing), why not extend a continent to 

 every island in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans ? And all 

 this within the existence of recent species ! If you do not 

 stop this, if there be a lower region for the punishment of 

 geologists, I believe, my great master, you will go there. 

 Why, your disciples in a slow and creeping manner beat all 

 the old Catastrophists who ever lived. You will live to be 

 the great chief of the Catastrophists. 



There, I have done myself a great deal of good, and have 

 exploded my passion. 



So my master, forgive me, and believe me, ever yours, 



C. Darwin. 



P.S. Don't answer this, I did it to ease myself. 



