"[9]
In complete contrast to the forest, the bare, treeless, and uninhabited
plains of Patagonia "frequently crossed before" Darwin's eyes. Why, he
could not understand, except that, being so "boundless," they left "free
scope for the imagination."
As these travels,[10] undertaken at comparatively the same age, represent
the foundation upon which their scientific work and theories were based
during the long years which followed, a glance at the conditions
governing the separate expeditions--both mental and physical--may be of
some value. The most obvious difference lies, perhaps, in the fact that
Darwin was free from the thought of having to "pay his way" by the
immediate result of his efforts, and likewise from all care and anxiety
regarding domestic concerns; the latter being provided for him when on
board the _Beagle_, or arranged by those who accompanied him on his
travels overland and by river. The elimination of these minor cares
tended to leave his mind free and open to absorb and speculate at
comparative leisure upon all the strange phenomena which presented
themselves throughout the long voyage.
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