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From John Murray   24 October [1870]1

50, Albemarle St. | W.

Oct 24

My Dear Sir

Your wishes regarding a smooth cloth for the binding of your book shall be attended to—2

I have resorted to my Ledgers & find you have exaggerated slightly the sale of the Natlt Voyages by about 500 copies   Since it has been in my hands—these are the copies sold—3

1845 4000. Col Liby.4
1848 1000 " 5
1852 1000 "
1860 2000 " —6

these are now all sold & I have just printed a New Edition, of 10007—wch may go off in 7 or 8 years; that of 1860 having taken ten years to exhaust. I hope to have my sale on the 11th. Novr. 8

The origin of man is sent to press 2500 copies—& Clowes will send you 5 sets of sheets

Have you instructed him about the sets of clichés?9

My Dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | John Murray

Chas Darwin Esq

1
The year is established by the reference to Descent, which first went to press in 1870 (see n. 8, below).
3
Murray refers to the different editions of CD’s Journal of researches published by himself. Henry Colburn published earlier editions (see letter to John Murray, 22 October [1870] and n. 3).
4
Journal of researches 2d ed. was published as part of Murray’s series, the Colonial and Home Library (Freeman 1977, pp. 35–6).
5
Murray evidently published another issue of Journal of researches 2d ed. in 1848 (see Freeman 1977, pp. 36, 40).
6
Journal of researches (1852), and Journal of researches (1860).
7
Journal of researches (1870).
9
The references are to the first printing of Descent, and to the printer William Clowes & Sons. The five sets of sheets were for the Russian, French, German, and Dutch translations, and the US edition (letters to John Murray, 26 September 1870 and nn. 1 and 2, and 11 October [1870] and n. 3). Murray had agreed to supply stereotypes of most of the illustrations in Descent (see letter from John Murray, 10 October [1870]).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7350,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7350