TALBOT149

My dear Henry

I am glad you are so near home as Paris but I expected you over before this time – I shall be at Abbotsbury ¹ all the next fortnight – the Talbots ² are now at Bath but coming into Dorsetshire for Christmas so I think your best chance of seeing toute la famille en bloc ³ is to come straight down to Melbury ⁴ about that hospitable Season Mary & Jane ⁵ you will see in town M^r Buckland ⁶ wants very much to talk to you concerning the Pyramids he has been making an interesting tour in the Hebrides & North of Scotland – he is going to write to the Lemons ⁷ at Nice to tell them what to look for He has some idea of geologising there himself next Summer –

If you go to any good gardens about Paris pray ask to see the Cheirostemon – the Paraguay tea (an Ilex) & Salvia splendens

M^r Browne⁸ enquired after you the other day at M^r Lamberts ⁹ he is just returned from a rapid tour in Italy where he ought to have staid longer – he saw Mauri ¹⁰ at Paris Have you seen Vivianis ¹¹ new work Pray enquire for Olea fragrans with red flowers which I hear exists at Paris – if anywhere in the garden of M. Cels – I hope you have collected some seeds –

Yr Aff
W T H F S

Do you understand the polarisation of light – M^r Buckland shewed me some of D^r Brewsters ¹² experiments for detecting or distinguishing white topaz white amethyst & white crystal