She and Susan are in London, and she writes of people they have seen or had news of: Captain Harding, E. A. Darwin, Fanny [Mrs Hensleigh] Wedgwood, Emma Wedgwood, the Langtons, Josiah Wedgwood and Aunt Bessie, Fanny Biddulph and child, and the Evanses of Portrane.
Family news. Visits to the Owens at Woodhouse and the Parkers at Overton.
Mainly Shropshire news of family and friends.
Finds his journal interesting; they will read it aloud to Papa on winter evenings. They all regret the long time the journey is taking.
Mentions letters sent in parcel and those from CD received by Fox and Henslow. Adds news of family and friends.
Appreciation of his journal. She hears that CD’s "theory of the Earth" is the same as Lyell’s in 3d volume [of Principles of geology (1833)].
News of family and friends: W. D. Fox will marry in the spring; private theatricals at Eaton house-party.
Family and local news. Tom Eyton will marry. Tells of the great fire of the Houses of Parliament.
Gives details of the illness of R. W. Darwin.
Informs CD of the death of their father and the funeral arrangements.
Commiseration on the death of Anne.
Thoughts on the death of Anne.
News of family and friends, much of it about forthcoming marriages: Fanny Owen and R. M. Biddulph, Fanny Mackintosh and Hensleigh Wedgwood. Charlotte Wedgwood will write to him of her own engagement to Charles Langton.
Writes chiefly of family affairs: Erasmus’ visit, further delay in Fanny Owen’s marriage, Sarah [Owen] Williams’ illness, Arthur Owen’s sad departure for India; cholera.
Shrewsbury news.
Glad he likes Edinburgh.
They have been going to plays performed by a travelling company he knows.
Tells of the family’s pleasure in reading CD’s first two letters and his journal.
Comments on Shrewsbury politics, the cholera, and the family. Sedgwick calls often; Catherine thinks he is interested in Susan.
Writes news of family, Maer, and Woodhouse. His father has sent for a banana tree
and plans to buy J. J. Audubon’s book [Birds of America (1827)].
Charles Langton has been given a living near Ludlow.
Erasmus has received CD’s journal and two boxes; six large boxes are at Plymouth. Had feared them lost in wreck of Challenger.
News of family and friends.
They have been reading about the wreck of the Challenger; much impressed by Capt. FitzRoy’s bravery.
The W. D. Foxes have a daughter. Family news.
News of family and friends, Harriet Martineau’s soirée; funds deposited for him.
Morning Herald had an account of CD’s 80 specimens of Mammalia and 450 birds at the Zoological Society.
John Gould has described new species in CD’s Galapagos birds.
Much interest in CD’s "Laurels".
Family news.