Ɛpsilon

From J. B. Innes   24 August 1880

Milton Brodie

24 Augst. 1880.

Dear Darwin,

You would have seen that I was not unprepared for the upset of my idea that there were barnacles on a rock high on a Scotch Hill.1 The articles looked to me so much like barnacles that I was deceived. I could not guess how they could have got up there.

I had not heard of the burglary at High Elms.2 It is a pity the butler had not means of winging (or rather legging) one or two of the birds. In case any of your 67 visitors3 should have borne away an outline of your house, and the readiest means of nocturnal access, I should think the alarms I had, and still use on occasion, would be serviceable. They can be got, either with cases of fireworks or with maroons, from Wilkinson Gunmaker Pall Mall—4

You must have much enjoyed your visit to Cambridge, and your son. I am glad to hear his marriage has been so happy.5

I have not had any late accounts of poor Alice.6 I fear there is no improvement to report, or it would have come. I know she used to be much cheered and comforted by Mrs. Darwins frequent visits to her.

With all our kindest regards | Believe me | Faithfully yours | J Brodie Innes

1
The barnacles that Innes thought he had found were in fact lichens (see letter to J. B. Innes, 23 August [1880]).
4
Wilkinson & Son, gun, sword and rifle manufacturers, 27 Pall Mall, London (Post Office London directory). A maroon was a firework designed to make a single loud noise, used especially as a warning or signal (OED).
5
CD and Emma had stayed in Cambridge with Horace and Ida Darwin from 14 to 19 August 1880 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). Horace and Ida had married on 3 January 1880 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12698,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12698