From Leonard Darwin to Horace Darwin 12 August 1876

Dear Jim

Malta and me is here and is likely to stay here for some time. Malta is trying to get the bulge of me, but Malta is out of it. When I perspired a large black patch in the middle of the back of my white jacket, I thought Malta was getting the best of it, but I get the bulge of him bathing regular. I don’t bathe quite as often as I should like, as my blessed froggy comes two afternoons in the week and worries me for an hour about bathing time. I drive out to the fort in a little open pony carriage, at least I make the other cove drive there and generally drive it back myself, and I have not upset it yet; which is a wonder, coz the road is as narrow as—, and all covered with loose stones which I insouciably drive over. I did not get the bulge of your Euclid when I came away; when next at home ask you send it here by post; it wont cost you much, and it will cost me nothing. I have rubbed up my Mechanics, Algebra most of Trigonometry; read $\frac{1}{2}$ Hamley’s art of war, $\frac{1}{2}$ a vol of Jomini ditto done 20 French exercises and still I am not happy. I cant get the bulge of the following staff college exam equation.

[mathematical equation showing that the square root of x-1 plus the square root of x-2 equals 2 times the square root of x-3] Square and you get a result x= $\frac{73}{24}$ which when you put it in the equation is not the answer, but is the solution when there is a - and not a + in the left. I think the solution is f[square root of negative $\frac{73}{24}$] and I think the examiner thought it was $\frac{73}{24}$

y^rs. ever. L.D

PS

I have quoted the equation from memory possibly wrong but I think right.