Notes for CD on a river trip to Mercedes on the Rio Negro [Uruguay].
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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Notes for CD on a river trip to Mercedes on the Rio Negro [Uruguay].
Family news.
Sends news of himself and CD’s friends. Discusses changes in England, the coming elections, Cambridge politics.
Acknowledges receipt of two letters from CD and a box of specimens.
Mentions attendance at BAAS meeting and a gift to him of a small living near Oxford. Some political news.
Congratulates CD on the work he has done – the specimens are of great interest. Gives advice on packing, labelling, and future collecting and suggests that – as a precaution – CD send home a copy of his notes on the specimens.
His health has improved but he continues "a good deal of an invalid" and is uncertain what the future holds for him.
His interest in entomology and ornithology continues; he has been studying the gulls on the Isle of Wight.
Captain Beaufort has offered to get one more letter to CD before the long voyage around the Horn;
SD brings family news up to date.
Writes of the pleasure all feel in CD’s continued good health and joy in his voyage.
Tells of the banana tree he bought, which he sits under and thinks of CD "in similar shade".
CD’s financial accounts are correct.
News of family and friends after skipping June letter: Osmaston and the Foxes, five weeks in London, the Langtons in Shropshire, Fanny Biddulph and daughter, R. W. Darwin, and Charles Hughes.
Wishes CD well on his trip to General Juan Manuel Rosas. CD is to send word when he wants a boat; there is no hurry, for there is plenty of work for the sounders. He envies CD’s travels.
The [Megatherium] fossils were extremely interesting and were shown at the Geological Section of the BAAS meeting at Cambridge [1833].
The plants delight him; will work them out with W. J. Hooker.
CD should send every fossil he can find; minute insects will be nearly all new. Delighted with descriptions of the few animals alluded to.
Urges CD to return to the Beagle early in November. Conrad Martens arrives to succeed Augustus Earle as artist for the expedition.
Mainly news of the family and friends. Their joy at the abolition of slavery.
News of Fanny Biddulph and other Owens; Susan Darwin has declined a marriage offer. Other gossip about Shrewsbury acquaintances.
Urges CD to visit Flores Island near Montevideo if he has not already done so. Describes formation of greenstone and the granite formations on small islands in the Uruguay channel.
Sends specimens from Pôrto Alegre [Brazil] for identification by CD.
Has been working hard on collecting English and foreign birds. Yarrell has written of new birds discovered in England.
News of work in progress by Leonard Jenyns, P. J. Selby, and John Gould.
Cautions CD to beware of insects when he sends any birds’ skins – otherwise there will be only feathers, beaks, and legs remaining when he returns.
Sending shot or powder is illegal, but all CD’s goods and chattels have been sent. EL’s services to CD are what any Englishman should do for his country.
Acknowledges CD’s letter about alpine entomology of Tierra del Fuego; discusses geographical distribution; urges CD to make a chart of vegetable and geological distribution of insects. Advises him on species to collect and assures him of all assistance in describing his captures on his return.
Tells of founding of Entomological Society, and enrolls CD.
News of J. F. Stephens’ lawsuit and continuation of his Illustrations of British entomology [1827–46]. Praises general state of zoological science in England.
Writes on CD’s 25th birthday.
Points out "errors in orthography" in his journal.
News of family and friends, visits, and other social events.
A letter full of news of Cambridge and friends: the BAAS meeting at Cambridge; charges of corruption in the University; the Cambridge petition on behalf of Dissenters.
Writes a cordial letter with family and local news. Hopes CD will see his two sons in India.
P.S. by Catherine Darwin says no letter was written this month as all is well at home.