Charles Darwin – The Early YearsIt was John Henslow who introduced Darwin to the Reverend Adam Sedgwick, the
Professor of Geology at Cambridge and who encouraged him to spend the summer on
a field trip to Wales:
Professor Sedgwick in the beginning of August intended to visit North Wales to pursue his
famous geological investigation amongst the older rocks ... The tour was of decided use in
teaching me a little how to make out the geology of a country. Sedgwick often sent me on a
line parallel to his, telling me to bring back specimens of rocks and to mark the stratification
on a map. I have little doubt that he did this for my own good, as I was too ignorant to have
aided him.Darwin returned home to Shrewsbury from his geological excursion in Wales and
ready to return to Cambridge for his theological training, when he found two letters
waiting for him which would be completely life-changing. The first letter was in John
Henslow’s familiar handwriting:
Cambridge, 24 August 1831My Dear Darwin,
... I shall hope to see you shortly, fully expecting that you will eagerly catch
at the offer which is likely to be made you of a trip to Tierra del Fuego, and home by the East
Indies. I have been asked by Peacock ... to recommend him a naturalist as companion to
Captain FitzRoy, employed by the government to survey the southern extremity of America.
I have stated that I consider you to be the best qualified person I know of who is likely
to undertake such a situation ... Captain FitzRoy wants a man (I understand) more as a
companion than a mere collector, and would not take anyone, however good a naturalist,
who was not recommended to him likewise as a ‘gentleman’.J.S. Henslow
The expedition is to sail on 25th September (at earliest) so there is no time to be lost.The second was a covering letter from one of Henslow’s colleagues, the
mathematician George Peacock, who was a great friend of Captain Robert FitzRoy:
My Dear Sir,I received Henslow’s letter last night too late to forward it to you by the post;
a circumstance which I do not regret, as it has given me the opportunity of seeing Captain
Beaufort at the Admiralty (the Hydrographer), and of stating to him the offer which I have59