" But he hoped that now he might be allowed to
live.
The science of Geology is enormously indebted to Lyell--more so,
as I believe, than to any other man who ever lived. When [I was]
starting on the voyage of the "Beagle", the sagacious Henslow,
who, like all other geologists, believed at that time in
successive cataclysms, advised me to get and study the first
volume of the 'Principles,' which had then just been published,
but on no account to accept the views therein advocated. How
differently would anyone now speak of the 'Principles'! I am
proud to remember that the first place, namely, St. Jago, in the
Cape de Verde archipelago, in which I geologised, convinced me of
the infinite superiority of Lyell's views over those advocated in
any other work known to me.
The powerful effects of Lyell's works could formerly be plainly
seen in the different progress of the science in France and
England. The present total oblivion of Elie de Beaumont's wild
hypotheses, such as his 'Craters of Elevation' and 'Lines of
Elevation' (which latter hypothesis I heard Sedgwick at the
Geological Society lauding to the skies), may be largely
attributed to Lyell.
I saw a good deal of Robert Brown, "facile Princeps Botanicorum,"
as he was called by Humboldt. He seemed to me to be chiefly
remarkable for the minuteness of his observations, and their
perfect accuracy. His knowledge was extraordinarily great, and
much died with him, owing to his excessive fear of ever making a
mistake.
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