From Francis Darwin   [before 26 June 1873]¹

Dear Father

I’ve been to Klein² to ask abt the microscope— He says that Hartnack always has them ready but that unless one has a friend in Paris who can go & fetch it, it is sometimes difficult to make him send one quick; but Klein is sure that he would send you one at once—³ I find I made a mistake about the stage, Hartnack doesn’t make them but Klein thinks you could have one fitted in England.⁴ I shd think you’d better get G⁵ (if he’s at home) to write to Hartnack in French. The name of the microscope is “Petite Modèle Nouvelle”⁶—& he would have to say you wanted a hinge in the stand and a horse-shoe foot   Klein says “charnier” is the word for the hinge he thinks⁷ & G might draw a diagram of the foot

& if he cant express it by “botte de cheval”⁸   Mine cost £15 pounds & (I think) 2 francs—⁹ I could get you 2 francs in French stamps to send them & you can send 3 fivers   I sent £15 pounds and when he sent the microscope he said there was 2 or 3 francs more to pay   I’d write myself only my French writing isnt strong— I got mine in a fortnight but I should think you wd certainly get it quicker than that— You must say what powers you want & what eyepieces    the numbers of my powers are on the lenses themselves, not on the compartments of the little box   I’m glad you like the micro so much   you can have mine till yrs comes as there are 3 Hartnacks in the School here I can always use

Yrs affec | F Darwin

D^r Hartnack | Place Dauphine | Paris