130 



PIONEERS OF EVOLUTION. 



losophy, stirred up in him " a burning zeal to add 

 even the most humble contribution to the noble 

 structure of Natural Science." The vow to eschew 

 geology was quickly broken when he came under 

 the spell of Sedgwick's influence, but it was the 

 friendship of Henslow that determined his after 

 career, and prevented him from becoming the " Rev. 

 Charles Darwin." For on his return from a geo- 

 logical tour in Wales with Sedgwick he found a letter 

 from Henslow awaiting him, the purport of which 

 is in the following extract: 



" I have been asked by Peacock (Lowndean 

 Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge) to recom- 

 mend him a naturalist as companion to Captain 

 Fitz-Roy, employed by Government to survey the 

 southern extremity of America. I have stated that 

 I consider you to be the best-qualified person I know 

 of who is likely to undertake such a situation." 



In connection with this the following memoran- 

 dum from Darwin's pocket-book of 1831 is of in- 

 terest: " Returned to Shrewsbury at end of August. 

 Refused offer of voyage." 



This refusal was given at the instance of his 

 father, who objected to the scheme as " wild and 

 unsettling, and as disreputable to his character as a 

 clergyman " ; but he soon yielded on the advice of 

 his brother-in-law, Josiah Wedgwood, and on Dar- 

 win's plea that he " should be deuced clever to spend 

 more than his allowance whilst on board the Beagle." 

 On this his father answered with a smile, " But they 



