TALBOT6471

London 1^st October [added in another hand:1851]

My Dear Constance

You quite mistook me, I do not want you to see the Exhibition – Of course it would be a considerable additional expense to me – I only meant to remind you that it was not impossible or out of the question in case you all greatly wished it. The crowd was considerable there yesterday just falling short of 70 000 I went to look at the great lump of Californian gold ore just received from the diggings. It weighs about a hundred weight – I see by looking at it that it requires no geological skill to know its value, the gold is quite evident and glittering between the rocky portions of the mass. Henneman is hard at work making photographs in the building for the Royal Commissioners and Exec^ve. Committee, but they are so extraordinarily stingy notwithstanding they have a surplus of £200,000, and make such hard conditions with him that it is doubtful whether he will earn anything by his labour. For instance they were to reject the pictures they thought not sufficiently perfect, and on his bringing 20 to them they rejected 19 of them. ¹ Yet in the opinion of good judges, H. says, they were considered successful performances. I have not seen them myself.

Yours aff^ly.
Henry

Pray give my kind condolences to M^lle. on her indisposition continuing so long. I had hoped to receive a better account today.