From Horace Darwin to G. H. Darwin 1 July 1881

Dear George

Idas p.c. will have told you of our plans. We shall be away for about 3 weeks in August, at the beginning. This is as far as we can tell but we dont know for certain & we shan’t alter if we can help it. Mr. Gordon has been away wh. delayed things a bit, but yesterday I got him to fit up the telescope wh. he has done very well. This morning I put down the lamp & got in the right place. The line on the red glass is not thick enough, this I will alter; & the reading arrangement does not seem very satisfactory I will try it again & see what can be done. I have not fitted it up so as to work out side the room yet, but the apparatus is made, & so is most of the worm wheel gear for the back leg &c. but there is a good deal more to do to it all yet, I will get it done as soon as I can. The over flow works all right & the tub leaks very little now. 3 drops a minute will be enough I expect, I had it going with 8 drops per minute wh. seemed much too much. I shall try & make Mr. Gordon fit up the scaffolding to support the worm wheel gear. The mirror is bright still & there is lots of spirit in the copper vessel. I’m afraid it will be a great job getting the spot of light right when it is sensitive, I un-sensitized the instrument today & then it was a bother; it shot accross the field of view v. quickly. Every thing is so quiet up here now very few people about, no one at Trin. that I know but Dew & Langley. Did you see that poor Tom only took a 3^rd.; it is v. sad & he feels it v. much & so does Mr Farrer   It is great about the special train!!!!!

Yrs | H Darwin