To J. D. Hooker   11 April [1859]

Down Bromley Kent

Ap. 11

My dear Hooker

I write one line to say that I heard from Murray yesterday, & he says he has read 3 first Chapters of my M.S. (& this includes a very dull one) & he abides by his offer.1 Hence he does not want more M.S. & you can send my Geographical Ch. when it pleases you.—2

I hope soon to hear whether you will abide by the day of your promised visit here, ie as I understood 21st.— My eldest son arrived to our surprise yesterday3 & there will only be Georgy to meet on 21st so that we could send to Bromley Station on that day with one horse to meet you.— N.B there is Pimlico & London Bridge Line: by the Pimlico Line you would have to get out at Beckenham; by the London Bridge line you could come to Bromley (Mason Hill) Stn.—

I am much puzzled by Circular about subscription: I can decide nothing till I have a talk with some one & that will be you first—4 I fear the scheme will abort; if it really goes on, I would subscribe £50 or perhaps £100; but till I hear more I would make it only contingent on some largish sum being subscribed.—5

Ever dear Hooker | Yours most truly | C Darwin

1
The letter from John Murray has not been found. It was a reply to CD’s letter to John Murray, 5 April [1859].
2
CD sent Hooker the chapters on geographical distribution (Origin, pp. 346–410) early in March (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 11 March [1859]). CD requested their return in the letter to J. D. Hooker,2 April [1859].
3
Emma Darwin’s diary records that William Erasmus Darwin arrived at Down on 9 April 1859.
4
Following the oversubscription to the fund set up to aid John Ralfs (see letter to J. D. Hooker,2 November [1858], n. 1), the Philosophical Club of the Royal Society resolved at a meeting on27 January 1859 to initiate a fund for the charitable relief of practising scientists (see Correspondence vol.7, Appendix VII). At a subsequent meeting of the club, the treasurer, William Hallowes Miller, was requested to write to every member to ascertain their opinion (Bonney 1919, pp. 52, 143–4 and n. 1).
5
The fund was eventually set up, with CD a signatory to the proposal (see Correspondence vol.7, Appendix VII). An entry in his Account book (Down House MS) indicates he contributed £100 on 10 June 1859.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.2 to our surprise] interl
2.3 on 21st] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2452,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2452