RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1901. [Letters to Lyell and Thomas Francis Jamieson]. In Alex Inkson M'connochie, Across Creag Meaghaidh. The Cairngorm Club Journal, 3: 236-37.
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe. 10.2019. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Freeman Bibliographical Database, enter its Identifier here.
This item was discovered by Martin Hewitt. With thanks to Jim Secord.
Introduction by Christine Chua and John van Wyhe:
Alexander Inkson M'connochie (1850-1936) was an enthusiastic member of the Cairngorm Club (a mountaineering club, based in Aberdeen, Scotland) and was an Honorary Secretary and editor of its journal from 1893 to 1911. He was a well-known authority on highland hills, a rock-climber and mountaineer. He wrote an article entitled Across Creag Meaghaidh which included three letters by Darwin.
Thomas Francis Jamieson (1829-1913), FGS, was an agriculturalist and geologist of Ellon, Aberdeen. He was a correspondent of Darwin and Sir Charles Lyell. His paper on Glen Roy was published in 1863 in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, vol. 19, pp 235-59. (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/109632#page/343/mode/1up)
Darwin's own paper, Observations on the parallel roads of Glen Roy, etc., was published in 1839 in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 129, pp. 39-81. (F1653)
[page] 235
[…]
It was at Luibh-chonnal that, about forty years ago, Dr. Jamieson first studied the mystery of the parallel roads. His explanation of the matter was accepted by such giants in the scientific world as Murchison, Lyell, and Darwin, as may be seen from the following letters (three of them to Dr. Jamieson) in possession of the writer [Alex Inkson M'connochie]: —
DOWN, BROMLEY, KENT,
Oct. 14, 1862.
MY DEAR LYELL,
I return Jamieson' s letter. I have no comments, except to say that he has removed all my difficulties, and that now and for evermore I give up and abominate Glen Roy
[page] 236
and all its belongings. It certainly is a splendid case, and wonderful monument of the old ice period. You ought to give a wood-cut. How many have blundered over these horrid shelves! ...
I do believe every word in my Glen Roy paper is false.
Ever yours,
C. Darwin
[The letter in its entirety can be found in Correspondence vol. 10, p. 462. It is in CUL-DAR146.280.]
[Facsimile of handwritten letter:]
Down
Bromley
Kent. S. E.
March 27th [1863?]
My dear Sir
I am much obliged for your note which shall be forwarded to Sir C. Lyell.— The fact seems very important; & at last, I, for one, for ever & ever give up the marine theory; but I do it with a groan. —
My dear Sir
Yours sincerely
C. Darwin
DOWN, BROMLEY, KENT, S.E.,
Jan. 24th, (1863.)
MY DEAR SIR,
I have just received your Glen Roy paper in MS., and it seems to me not only conclusive but admirably done and most interesting. I heartily congratulate you on having solved a problem which has puzzled so many and which now
[page] 237
throws so much light on the grand old glacial period. As for myself, you let me down so easily that, by Heavens, it is as pleasant as being thrown down on a soft hay-cock on a fine summer's day. There are other men who would have had no satisfaction without hurling us all on the hard ground and then trampling on us. You cannot, do the trampling at all well—you cannot even give a single kick to a fallen enemy!
My seeing your MS. shows that I am referee, which ought to be a secret; but, as there can be no doubt about my report, there can be no wrong in my want of secrecy.
With the most sincere admiration, pray believe me,
Yours sincerely,
CH. DARWIN.
[Jamieson replied on 28 January 1863. The letter can be found in Correspondence vol. 11, pp. 93-4.]Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 28 November, 2022