To J. D. Hooker   [1–29 August 1844]1

Down Bromley Kent

Thursday

My dear Hooker

I enclose one of Ehrenberg’s letters, which had not arrived; I do not send you the one to me, as it contained nothing but enquiries about the dust and other such subjects.2

Very many thanks for all your and your cook’s wisdom about Crabs, which has been duly copied out.—3

In looking over some coralls, I found the enclosed sea-weed from the Galapagos Islds & I believe from 12 fathom’s depth; I thought perhaps you would like to have it— I, also, send either for yourself or Mr Harvey4 specimen. 390 & 391 of the little conferva in bundles described at p. 14 of my Journal: I have not, however, looked to see whether they are preserved. 392 is a minute attached conferva from 17 Fathoms off the Abrolhos Isd coast of Brazil.5 Please throw away these specimens if of no use.

Did you collect any pediculi fm your voyage; especially from the Penguin: H. Denny (to whom I have given all my specimens) has written to me expressing a great wish to have some from the antarctic regions.6 If you are able to supply him: his address is “Philosophical Hall Leeds”.

Whenever you have ready the specimens for Ehrenberg, they had better be sent here by the “Down Coach from Bolt-in-tun Fleet Stt.”

Ever yours | C. Darwin

1
The date range is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Henry Denny, [27 July – 10 August 1844], 1 August being the first Thursday after 27 July, and the receipt of the letter from Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg, 15 June 1844 (see letter to C. G. Ehrenberg, 5 September [1844]).
2
Presumably CD refers to the letter from C. G. Ehrenberg, 15 June 1844, which arrived in late July or August. It seems likely that CD had also received a note addressed to Hooker, as mentioned by Ehrenberg in this letter.
3
Emma Darwin’s recipe book (DAR 214) contains the following recipe: Compote of Apples Cut any kind of apples in half, pare, core & put in cold water as you do them; have a pan on the fire with clarified sugar, half sugar half water; boil, skim, & put apples in; do them very gently; when done take them off & let them cool in the sugar, then set them in the ashes; & if the sugar is too thin set it again on the fire & give it the height required. (Dr Hooker). July 1844.
5
Journal of researches, pp. 14–15.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 such] interl
3.3 390 & 391] ‘0’ over ‘1’; ‘1’ over ‘2’
3.5 392] ‘2’ over ‘3’
4.1 fm] over ‘or’
5.1 ready] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-768,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-768