Charles' father
Robert objected strongly to Darwin's plan. He agreed that if
Darwin could find "a man of sense" who would recommend the
voyage, he would agree. Darwin wrote out the objections as he
understood them and asked his Uncle Josiah Wedgwood to respond. "Uncle
Jos" supplied plausible deniability to the several points,
and acknowledged that young Charles was a man of "Enlarged
Capacity" who would profit from this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. Satisfied, Father Darwin acquiesced.
(1) Disreputable to my character
as a Clergyman hereafter
(2) A wild scheme
(3) That they must have offered to
many others before me the place of Naturalist
(4) And from its not being
accepted there must be some serious objection to the vessel or
expedition
(5) That I should never settle
down to a steady life hereafter
(6) That my accommodations would
be most uncomfortable
(7) That you should consider it as
again changing my profession
(8) That it would be a useless
undertaking
