From Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin 3 June [1875]

Dear Mother

My last letter home thank goodness. I am told that the Abyssinia is not a particularly fast boat, which I suppose means that she is extra slow, but with ordinary luck I ought to be at home by Saturday 19^th. or the Sunday when I hope the brother and sisterhood will be well represented. I had a pleasant trip through Canada meeting some friends part of the time which relieved the Monotony of the evenings. One of them was a M^r. Creyke a cousin of the Lubbocks a pleasant man to talk to but I should think of only one idea in life—that of making himself comfortable. Here Arthur Sedwick has taken me in hand, and is apparently going to shew me everything himself in the most goodnatured way. I went to a sort of music hall last night; a huge wooden building in which a thousand people could walk about or sit down and drink beer or tea  The music was bad, and the only think that surprised me at it was that the place was crowded with ladies.

I have just heard from Palmer who wanted a month longer than I did in N.Z. He is almost sure of the Surveyor Generalship of NZ with £1200 a year—a great peice of luck for a man with a large family. He brought some nice fossil letters of Horace and Frank dated Jan 11^th.

For the last time goodbye | Your affec son | Leonard Darwin

PS I shall call at the North Western Hotel Liverpool where you can write to me if you want to