~~” ee mh 
1866. | Darwin and lis Teachings. 159 
that during his voyage “certain facts in the distribution of the 
inhabitants of South America,” &., &., “seemed to throw some 
light on the origin of species.” Strangely enough, even as late as 
1860, we find in his ‘Journal of Researches’* the following 
expression concerning his predecessor: “ Lamarck would have been 
delighted with this fact, had he known it, when speculating (pro- 
bably with more truth than usual with him) on the gradually- 
acquired blindness of the aspalax—a gnawer, living underground, 
and of the proteus, a reptile living im dark caverns filled with 
water ;’ whilst in the introduction to his new edition of the ‘ Origin 
of Species,’ published the following year, he speaks of Lamarck and 
his theory in such terms as would lead the general reader to suppose 
that he regards them with the highest admiration. Moreover, 
although the theories enunciated in his ‘Origin of Species’ are 
foreshadowed in his ‘ Journal,’} we cannot anywhere find a decided 
expression of opinion as to the origin of species by descent, although 
there seems to be a kind of vague idea pervading the whole work, 
that new species must have originated through some such process. 
This piece of evidence is of itself valuable to a student seeking to 
measure the mind of an author who propounds a doctrine widely at 
variance with popular views, for the published opinions of such a 
man, in fact, his whole public character necessarily guide the 
investigator in forming an estimate of his doctrines. Darwin’s 
‘Journal’ shows him to have possessed at that time traits which 
peculiarly adapted him to enter upon such an inquiry as he subse- 
quently undertook. From his ‘ Journal,’ he appeared naive and 
truthful, thoroughly alive to the value and influence of religion,t 
a wonderfully close observer of every phenomenon, whether in 
natural history or social life and customs. His reasoning on the 
phenomena of nature—as, for example, with regard to the origin of 
coral reefs—is irresistible ; he seems to weigh carefully everything 
that he or anyone else has observed before taking a single step in 
advance and to repeat his observations before he takes another. 
And through all his reasoning there appears to be no want of con- 
fidence in his readers. “Think for yourselves,” he seems to say, 
“but I feel pretty confident my way of thinking will be yours.” 
In fact, on reading his ‘Journal,’ one seems to travel with him ; 
his graphic descriptions of men and countries, extreme and startling 
as they often are, never awaken a doubt, and he has no need of 
* « Journal of Researches into the Natural Histcry and Geology of the Coun- 
tries visited during the Voyage of H.M.S. “Beagle” round the World.’ Tenth 
thousand. Murray, 1860. P. 52. 
+ See ‘ Journal of Researches,’ 1860, pp. 131 and 132, 145 to 147,173 to 176, 
327, 377, et seq.; and especially as to the “struggle for existence,” p. 435, begin- 
ning at line 1. 
{ Ibid., p. 300, beginning “ With no particular zeal for religion,” &c., p. 428, 
second and third par.; p. 430, “ Neither is the country itself attractive. I look 
back but to one bright spot, and that is Waimate, with its Christian inhabitants,” 
