1856.] CONTINENTAL EXTENSION. 73 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker, 



Down [June] 17th, 1856. 

 ... I have been very deeply interested by Wollaston's book,* 

 though I differ greatly from many of his doctrines. Did you 

 ever read anything so rich, considering how very far he goes, 

 .as his denunciations against those who go further : " most 

 mischievous," " absurd," M unsound." Theology is at the 

 bottom of some of this. I told him he was like Calvin 

 burning a heretic. It is a very valuable and clever book in 

 my opinion. He has evidently read very little out of his own 

 line. I urged him to read the New Zealand essay. His 

 Geology also is rather eocene, as I told him. In fact I wrote 

 most frankly ; I fear too frankly ; he says he is sure that 

 ultra-honesty is my characteristic : I do not know whether 

 he meant it as a sneer ; I hope not. Talking of eocene geology, 

 I got so wroth about the Atlantic continent, more especially 

 from a note from Woodward (who has published a capital 

 book on shells), who does not seem to doubt that every island 

 in the Pacific and Atlantic are the remains of continents, sub- 

 merged within period of existing species, that I fairly ex- 

 ploded, and wrote to Lyell to protest, and summed up all the 

 continents created of late years by Forbes (the head sinner !) 

 yourself, Wollaston, and Woodward, and a pretty nice little 

 extension of land they make altogether ! I am fairly rabid 

 on the question and therefore, if not wrong already, am 

 pretty sure to become so . . . 



I have enjoyed your note much. Adios, 



C. Darwin. 



P.S. [June] 1 8th. Lyell has written me a capital letter on 

 your side, which ought to upset me entirely, but I cannot 

 say it does quite. 



Though I must try and cease being rabid and try to feel 



* i 



The Variation of Species,' 1856. 



