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[…] Already in 1852, Darwin complained of his "weak-health"; and in 1857, he cautioned Dana: "I have been utterly astonished at the amount of work which you have done, and allow me to add that I have been frightened at it .... I know to my cost what ill-health is, may you never have my experience." [15 June (1851)]

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[page] 181

[…] He recommended his Manual of Geology "because of its American character," and he ended on a personal note, suggesting that "if a photograph of yourself could be added to your letter it would enhance greatly the pleasure. Although so long silent, there is no failing of esteem and admiration on the part of your friend."

Darwin answered this letter promptly, by January 7, 1863, in friendly and understanding fashion. He was glad to hear that Dana's health was better, but one to three hours per day "must be a great change to you." As for himself, "three hours have been a most unusually hard day's work." He was sending the photograph Dana asked for, made by his eldest son. On the issue between them, Darwin was noncommittal; he had not yet received the Manual and was "not at all surprised that you have not read the 'Origin'; all my friends say it takes much thought (which rather surprises me) and most have had to read it two or three times." Darwin ended on a mixed note of understandable pride and modest wish for greater knowledge: "Murray on the day of sale disposed of 4000 copies!! ... How little we know what lived during former times. Oh how I wish a skeleton could be found in your so-called Red Sandstone... beds."

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Darwin's reply was prepared with amazing speed a fortnight later, dated February 20 (1863] (the year is interpolated on the basis of the internal evidence). It is the last available item in this interesting exchange. Again it opens in friendly, personal fashion, acknowledging the receipt of the book (Manual of Geology), and only "this morning your pamphlet on Man and your kind letter." Darwin complimented Dana on the book as "a monument of labor"; although he has only turned the pages as yet: "It evidently contains a mass of valuable matter"; and once more he warned Dana not to overtax his head. Darwin then turned to the business at hand and proceeded to deal with the objections of the preceding letter, in a manner which was at once benevolently mild and firm. He admitted "Your objections are perfectly valid. I have noticed them, excepting one of separation of countries, on which perhaps we differ a little…." He admitted that it would be "absolutely fatal to my views, …if we really now know the beginning of life on this planet; ... if the geological record is not excessively imperfect. . ." For the first time, too, Darwin added a wry note of reproach that "perhaps it would have been better, if when you condemn all my views you had stated that you had not been able yet to read it (Origin)." He did not expect, knowing "your strong, and long-acquired convictions, and immense knowledge, you would have been converted." Nor did he want it, and "the utmost that I could have hoped would have been that you might possibly have been here or there staggered. Indeed I should not much value any sudden conversion, since ... I remember well how many long years I fought against my present belief" But

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Darwin now reaffirmed his convictions, and was "more convinced of the general (with much incidental error) truth of my views: I believe in this from finding that my views embrace so many phenomena and explain them to a large extent." With justifiable pride, he even boasted a little that the naturalists were coming around, four in the last month, "to the modification of species." Darwin closed with a reference to his great protagonist, Thomas Huxley; he had not yet read Huxley's book, Man's Place in Nature, but "I hear it is very striking, but you will highly disapprove of it."

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