Geological Observations of Volcanic Islands | Page 6

furnish abundant proofs of the enthusiasm, acumen, and
caution with which his researches were pursued.
Large collections of rocks and minerals were made by Darwin during
his researches, and sent home to Cambridge, to be kept under the care
of his faithful friend Henslow. After visiting his relations and friends,
Darwin's first care on his return to England was to unpack and examine
these collections. He accordingly, at the end of 1836, took lodgings for
three months in Fitzwilliam Street, Cambridge, so as to be near
Henslow; and in studying and determining his geological specimens
received much valuable aid from the eminent crystallographer and
mineralogist, Professor William Hallows Miller.
The actual writing of the volume upon volcanic islands was not
commenced till 1843, when Darwin had settled in the spot which
became his home for the rest of his life--the famous house at Down, in
Kent. Writing to his friend Mr. Fox, on March 28th, 1843, he says, "I
am very slowly progressing with a volume, or rather pamphlet, on the
volcanic islands which we visited: I manage only a couple of hours per
day, and that not very regularly. It is uphill work writing books, which
cost money in publishing, and which are not read even by geologists."
The work occupied Darwin during the whole of the year 1843, and was
issued in the spring of the following year, the actual time engaged in
preparing it being recorded in his diary as "from the summer of 1842 to
January 1844;" but the author does not appear to have been by any
means satisfied with the result when the book was finished. He wrote to
Lyell, "You have pleased me much by saying that you intend looking
through my 'Volcanic Islands;' it cost me eighteen months!!! and I have
heard of very few who have read it. Now I shall feel, whatever little
(and little it is) there is confirmatory of old work, or new, will work its
effect and not be lost." To Sir Joseph Hooker he wrote, "I have just
finished a little volume on the volcanic islands which we visited. I do
not know how far you care for dry simple geology, but I hope you will

let me send you a copy."
Every geologist knows how full of interest and suggestiveness is this
book of Darwin's on volcanic islands. Probably the scant satisfaction
which its author seemed to find in it may be traced to the effect of a
contrast which he felt between the memory of glowing delights he had
experienced when, hammer in hand, he roamed over new and
interesting scenes, and the slow, laborious, and less congenial task of
re-writing and arranging his notes in book-form.
In 1874, in writing an account of the ancient volcanoes of the Hebrides,
I had frequent occasion to quote Mr. Darwin's observations on the
Atlantic volcanoes, in illustration of the phenomena exhibited by the
relics of still older volcanoes in our own islands. Darwin, in writing to
his old friend Sir Charles Lyell upon the subject, says, "I was not a little
pleased to see my volcanic book quoted, for I thought it was
completely dead and forgotten."
Two years later the original publishers of this book and of that on
South America proposed to re-issue them. Darwin at first hesitated, for
he seemed to think there could be little of abiding interest in them; he
consulted me upon the subject in one of the conversations which I used
to have with him at that time, and I strongly urged upon him the reprint
of the works. I was much gratified when he gave way upon the point,
and consented to their appearing just as originally issued. In his preface
he says, "Owing to the great progress which Geology has made in
recent times, my views on some few points may be somewhat
antiquated, but I have thought it best to leave them as they originally
appeared."
It may be interesting to indicate, as briefly as possible, the chief
geological problem upon which the publication of Darwin's "Volcanic
Islands" threw new and important light. The merit of the work
consisted in supplying interesting observations, which in some cases
have proved of crucial value in exploding prevalent fallacies; in calling
attention to phenomena and considerations that had been quite
overlooked by geologists, but have since exercised an important
influence in moulding geological speculation; and lastly in showing the

importance which attaches to small and seemingly insignificant causes,
some of which afford a key to the explanation of very curious
geological problems.
Visiting as he did the districts in which Von Buch and others had found
what they thought to be evidence of the truth of "Elevation-craters,"
Darwin was able to show that the facts were capable of a totally
different