Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

"^^ A I'EW REMARKS too plainly where the happiness, the blessings, and the comfort men might enjoy, have by themselves been slighted, or de- stroyed, from forgetting the line between using, and abusing and by turning a deaf ear to the reflection that they are but ' tenants at will.' Much of my own uneasiness was caused by reading works written by men of Voltaire's school ; and by those of geologists . who contradict, by imphcation, if not in plain terms, the authenticity of the Scriptures ; before I had any acquaint- ance with the volume which they so incautiously impugn. For geology, as a useful branch of science,* I have as high a respect as for any other young branch of the tree of know- ledge, which has yet to undergo the trial of experience ; and no doubt exists in my own breast that every such additional branch, if proved by time to be sound and healthy, will con- tribute its share of nourishment and vigour to the tree which sprung from an immortal root. For men who, like myself formerly, are willingly ignorant of the Bible, and doubt its divme inspiration, I can only have one feeling— sincere sorrow.- Few have time, as well as inclination, to go far into both sides of any question ; but truth can hardly be drawn out of the well unless some exertion be made, in examining each argument, or in selecting a well-tried and experienced guide. It IS idle to say, as I have heard asserted, that such works as those above-mentioned do little harm ; experience proves the contrary ; of which I am made painfully aware, not only by my own conscience, but by conversation with friends. While led away by sceptical ideas, and knowing extremely little of the Bible, one of my remarks to a friend, on crossing- vast plains composed of rolled stones bedded in diluvial detritus some hundred feet in depth, was " this could never have been effected by a forty days' flood,"— an expression plainly indicative of the turn of mind, and ignorance of Scripture. I was quite willing to disbelieve what 1 thought to be the Mosaic account, upon the evidence of a hasty glance, though knowing next to * By u'liich word I mean 'Knowledge,' in its most comprehensive signification.