From B. J. Sulivan   13 October [1862]1

Board of Trade. S.W.

Oct 13

My dear Darwin

I was very sorry to hear of your being so unwell.2 You must not think of our coming to see you unless quite well enough.3 It must also depend on Wickham4 remaining next week in Town. He comes up today with his family having gone down from us on Thursday—& may have to go to France on Saturday. One day this week he has to be at Portsmouth so that unless he remains longer in London he cannot manage one day having to prepare for their trip to Continent where he expects to remain two or three years.

If he should remain another week and you are well enough we might be able to go to you about Wednesday 22nd for one night—5

with best regards | Believe me very sincly Yours | B. J. Sulivan

1
The year is established by reference to the visit to Down House on 21 October 1862, of Sulivan, John Clements Wickham, and Arthur Mellersh (see n. 5, below).
2
CD’s letter has not been found.
3
Sulivan had suggested a reunion in London between CD and two other former officers of HMS Beagle; instead, CD had invited them to visit Down House (see letters from B. J. Sulivan, 27 September [1862] and 2 October [1862]).
5
Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242) records that Sulivan, Wickham, and Arthur Mellersh visited Down House on 21 October 1862.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3759,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3759