From John Murray    18 September [1868]1

50A, Albemarle St. | W.

Sept. 18

My Dear Sir

A copy of your Book was sent from this Jany 29 properly addressed to Mr Walsh & left at Baillières Regent St.2 Some days afterwards my porter called there & finding B. had no prospect of forwarding it to New York, he took away the parcel to transfer it to Sampson Lows care.3 After this all trace of it is lost & I fear through some neglect of one of my people it was not forwarded—

I greatly regret this mishap & I have sent another copy from myself in consequence by post-free. I hope it will reach its destination safely & that Mr Walch will relieve you of all charge of neglect & lay it on the shoulders of

Your faithful servt | John Murray

On referring to your letter there is some abbreviation in your writing wch I cannot make out

J. D. Walsch Esq of Rock— — Illinois   I keep back the parcel begging you to supply this word—4

Chas. Darwin Esq

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to John Murray, 16 September [1868].
2
CD had told Benjamin Dann Walsh in January that he had asked his publisher, John Murray, to send a copy of Variation through the firm of Baillière brothers in New York (see letter to B. D. Walsh, 27 January [1868]). The publishing firm of the Baillière family also had offices at 219 Regent Street in London (Post Office London directory 1866). See letter to John Murray, 16 September [1868].
3
Sampson Low was the senior partner of the publishers Sampson Low, Son & Marston, with premises at 188 Fleet Street, London (ODNB).
4
Walsh lived in Rock Island, Illinois (see letter to John Murray, 16 September [1868]).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6376,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6376