Charles Darwin; his life and work / by Charles Frederick Holder.

  • Charles Frederick Holder
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Charles Darwin; his life and work / by Charles Frederick Holder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    commence until the following year. The temperature was said to change according to the season; thus m summer it was hotter than in winter, a condition which the young naturalist found difficult to ex- plain. On his way to the Yaquil mines Darwin passed by the famous Lake Tagua-tagua, in the sur- face of which are several islands which float about, carrying various animals with them. The wind governs their position entirely ; sometimes they are upon one side of the lake, sometimes upon the other. The Yaquil miners were found to be in even a worse condition than those previously re- ferred to. the men, often very young, were obliged to descend four hundred and fifty feet, and bring up two hundred pounds of the mineral. Their food consisted of boiled beans and bread, and their pay was about twenty-eight shillings per month. Stealing was prevented by deducting from the pay of all the men the value of the ore taken. Near these mines Darwin discovered some ancient Indian ruins, and secured some of the perforated stones now so common in collections from these countries. During his stay -lere an old German col- lector of natural objects called upon him. A Span- iard happening in at the same time, asked the former in the native language if he did not consider it very singular that the King of England should send a man to their country to pick up Hzards and beetles. The German, after some consideration, replied : No man is so rich as to send out people to pick up such rubbish. I do not like it. If one of us were to go to England and do such things, do you not