To James Torbitt   31 March 1878

My dear Sir

I have just heard from Mr. Farrer, whose advice I had determined to follow, as he has great good sense and experience, and I know can be trusted. He advises me to send back the £100, which I now do, and I trust that you will not refuse to accept it, but adds “if there were reason to suppose that any great additional work could be effected this year by sending more money, it could no doubt be done”.¹ But he seems to think from your note and what I have told him, it would be better to be contented with less extensive operations.² He then says that if you go on with your experiments next year he and Mr. Caird³ feel sure that they could easily get another £100. He remarks that “getting money from the Government for a new thing is an endless business”.