TALBOT5784

Malta
5^th Dec^r 1846

Dear M^r Talbot

I received your kind letter of 19^th Nov^r by the steamer which yesterday brought my nephew ¹ on his way to India – the son of my Sister at Monk’s Park ² – I was most anxious to retain a sketch of him, & to send it to his Mother – & took the enclosed Talbotypes ³: – will you do me the great favour to copy them – & send proofs to her? M^rs Dewell I have taken the liberty to tell her that you would. – I really cannot conquer the difficulties – nothing can be more beautiful than the copies as they come from the press – but they almost invariably get embrowned, or faint, or discoloured with fixing ⁴. – & too often the negatives get specky after one or two proofs taken from them. – It is sadly discouraging: – in spite of your very kind offer of aid – for it renders the art imperfect at the very moment when you think you have succeeded best.–

I enclose the waxed negative ⁵ to shew how they serve me, too often, after having taken 2 or 3 copies – it is a portrait of my friend the Bp. of Jerusalem ⁶ – I suppose irrecoverable – I will try your suggestion about the lessened proportions of salt –

I hastly close this – to save post if possible – The parcel you mention is not yet arrived – & my ill success makes me very unwilling to venture to Syria at present. – However I have many more negatives which if worth sending, you shall have. – In the mean time I should be vy much oblige [sic] if you could send copies of this to my Sister which would greatly gratify her –

& Yours my dear Sir very trly
Geo W Bridges

I have just received a parcel of the seeds of the Etna tree broom ⁷ – a curious plant – which I will forward for you to my brother ⁸ in London. –Pray excuse the hast I fear I am too late –
I have left out the waxed negative – it would make the postage too costly
More seeds are collecting for you: –