The red notebook of Charles Darwin / edited, with an introduction and notes by Sandra Herbert.

  • Charles Darwin
Date:
1980
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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Credit: The red notebook of Charles Darwin / edited, with an introduction and notes by Sandra Herbert. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    120/184 (page 106)
    106 SANDRA HERBERT valleys through which I have passed, I observed many ancient ruins, attesting a former population where now all is desolate. For passages on a similar theme see pp. 4 and 5. Also consult JR, p. 412, where the quotation from Temple appears in slightly different form. From his comment it would appear that Charles' sister Caroline Darwin Wedgwood (1800-1888) gave him the reference to Temple. John W. Webster, A Description of the Island of St. Michael (Boston, 1821), p. 124: There is scarcely a man on the island, who has not a dog, and many have half a dozen. It is a remarkable fact that, although these animals are so numerous, no instance of hydrophobia was ever known among them. See Ji?, p. 436. Sir Woodbine Parish, F.R.S. (1796-1882), personal communication. See JR, p. 156: Sir Woodbine Parish informed me of another and very curious source of dispute [in the province of Buenos Ayres] ; the ground being so long dry, such quantities of dust were blown about, that in this open country the landmarks become obliterated, and people could not tell the limits of their estates. Parish served as commissioner and consul general and then chargé d'affaires to Buenos Ayres from 1823-1832. Upon returning to London he became active in scientific societies. He was a long-time vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society and served on the Council of the Geological Society of London from 1834-1841, being sometime vice- president and during 1835-1836 one of the secretaries. Félix d'Azara, Voyages dans VAmérique Méridionale.. .1781-1801 (Paris, 1809), vol. 1, p. 374: On voit un exemple aussi étonnant de cette fougue dans les années sèches, où l'eau est extrêmement rare au sud de Buenos-Ayres. En effet, ils partent comme fous, tous tant qu'ils sont, pour aller chercher quelque mare ou quelque lac: ils s'enfoncent dans la vase, et les premiers arrivés sont foulés et écrasés par ceux qui les suivent. Il m'est arrivé plus d'une fois de trouver plus de mille cadavres de chevaux sauvages morts de cette façon. See p. 156. John Hunter, An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island. . .since the publication of Phillip's Voyage (London, 1793), pp. 507, 508, 525, and 535 refer to the drought around Sydney in the first half of the year 1791. 'Phillip's Voyage' refers to the account of his travels written by Arthur Phillip (1738-1814), vice-admiral and first governor of New South Wales, published as The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay (London, 1789). Charles Sturt, Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia. .. 1828-1831 (London, 1833), vol. 1, p. 1: The year 1826 was remarkable for the commencement of one of those fearful droughts to which we have reason to believe the climate at New South Wales is periodically subject. It continued during the two following years with unabated severity. And p. 2: But, however severe for the colony the seasons had proved... it was borne in mind at this critical moment, that the wet and swampy state of the interior had alone prevented Mr. Oxley from