I can plainly see that we have thought
much alike and to a certain extent have come to similar conclusions....
I agree to almost every word of your paper; and I dare say that you will
agree with me that it is very rare to find oneself agreeing pretty
closely with any theoretical paper." He concludes: "You have my very
sincere and cordial good wishes for success of all kinds, and may all
your theories succeed, except that on Oceanic Islands, on which subject
I will do battle to the death."
The three years from 1855 to 1858 were for Wallace crowded with hard
work, and perilous voyages by sea and hardships by land. January, 1858,
found him at Amboyna, where, in all probability, he found a pile of
long-delayed correspondence awaiting him, and among this a letter from
Bates referring to the article which had appeared in print September,
1855. In reply he says: "To persons who have not thought much on the
subject I fear my paper on the 'Succession of Species' will not appear
so clear as it does to you. That paper is, of course, merely the
announcement of the theory, not its development.
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