Early Letters 



fairly heard and fairly weighed the evidence on both sides, 

 and I remain an utter disbeliever in almost all that you con- 

 sider the most sacred truths. I will pass over as utterly con- 

 temptible the oft-repeated accusation that sceptics shut out 

 evidence because they will not be governed by the morality 

 of Christianity. You I know will not believe that in my 

 case, and / know its falsehood as a general rule. I only 

 ask. Do you think I can change the self-formed convic- 

 tions of twenty -five years, and could you think such a 

 change would have anything in it to merit reward from 

 justice ? I am thankful I can see much to admire in all 

 religions. To the mass of mankind religion of some kind 

 is a necessity. But whether there be a God and whatever 

 be His nature; whether we have an immortal soul or not, 

 or whatever may be our state after death, I can have no 

 fear of having to suffer for the study of nature and the 

 search for truth, or believe that those will be better off in 

 a future state who have lived in the belief of doctrines in- 

 culcated from childhood, and which are to them rather a 

 matter of blind faith than intelligent conviction. — A. R. W. 

 This for yourself ; show the letter only to my mother. 



To His Mother 



Sourabaya, Java. Jvly 20, 1861. 



My dear Mother, — I am, as you will see, now commenc- 

 ing my retreat westwards, and have left the wild and savage 

 Moluccas and ]N'ew Guinea for Java, the Garden of the East, 

 and probably without any exception the finest island in the 

 world. My plans are to visit the interior and collect till 

 November, and then work my way to Singapore so as to 

 return home and arrive in the spring. Travelling here will 

 be a much pleasanter business than in any other country I 

 have visited, as there are good roads, regular posting stages, 



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