From John Sinnett   3rd January 1844.

Liverpool 3rd January 1844.

My dear Tyndall

I received yours of 29 ult¹ in due course. I need scarcely say that I was glad to hear that you arrived safely at home. Your disasters in the deep, so graphically described, came in the end more fortunate than otherwise, although of course poor Phill² felt annoyed at parting with the ‘garbage’.³ And now I would notice a matter that I had thought of and intended to do before, and that is that in your future communications (which I hope will not be few) that you will dispense with the frigid mono-syllable with which you usually commence your letters to me, I mean ‘Sir’, for chilly it is, albeit the corners are somewhat rounded off by the prefixed ‘My dear’. I hate it, it involves a degree of respect which between you and me is absurd, and always was, so ‘no more of it, Hal, an thou lovest me’.⁴ I send you the specimen⁵ and as I love modesty have extended the size from ‘one half crown’ to somewhere about 2, I am as busy as a nailor⁶ during the day therefore was compelled to do it by candlelight. I will not be so affected as to make any apology about it, although it was mere guesswork by candlelight, however it has turned out well and is I believe the best bit of wood I have done yet, you cannot but see its great superiority over the Cork work (I mean in style). You perceive it is quite a landscape view and shows the trees in groups as they ought to be, and not in single trees as in Cork. The colours are precisely the same but there is no blending of one into the other as we did in Cork: first there is a light wash of green (sap of course), then a working up of the groups sufficiently strong only to tell upon the ground, leaving some spaces for the burnt sienna which you must soften off with another half dry brush. Then a deeper tint of green to touch up and a finishing touch of lake mixed with sepia which produces the rich brown colour. The best ‘hint’ I can give you is to study the style, observe how the rotundity of the groups is brought out. The piece appears to me to be quite successful in this point. I have done it in colours although our practice here is sepia and if you can spare time I recommend you to try a small specimen or two all in sepia, it is a beautiful colour, and there is none works up so well. Larry Eivers was so fond of this style that he took away a piece of it done by me. I would not have had this so very green had I let daylight to it, but as far as the touching goes I could not do it better. I believe I have said my say on this subject; if there is any point upon which I can further assist you let me know and I shall answer without fail. You perceive I was tolerably prompt about this business, as I wanted to assist you in astonishing the natives. Ginty went I think on Sunday week, R. Hunter⁷ had a letter from him, he has arrived safe in Carrick.⁸ There has been a letter from Taylor in Dublin he has it seems got into Kildahle,⁹ the Land and House Agents office at £50 per annum. There is another wanted, and he has been enquiring about Ginty, who did not see him as he staid only 20 minutes in Dublin. I believe R.H.¹⁰ is writing to him to night about it. I wish you had passed as many years in the Dublin [County] House and school as I did, if you had, I verily believe you would not now need a specimen from your poor friend nor yet trouble yourself about gleaning after those trusty reapers Hodges¹¹ and Smith:¹² Yes I have seen Adam and Eve¹³ and was entranced gazing at it. Was there ever a woman so lovely as the Eve in the temptation? If our good(?) mother was so lovely I fear much many, very many, of her descendants could scarcely help following the example that brought ‘death into world and all our woe’.¹⁴ So fare thee well friend John. I need scarcely say that you have my warmest wishes for your success.

Yours faithfully | John Sinnett

I recommend you not to follow Captain T’s¹⁵ system of putting in single trees thus without [stems]. Captain F.¹⁶ and Mr Hamley, both men of refined taste, utterly abhorred it, and so does every one but its inventor who of course admires his own bantling. Don’t forget to have a plan in sepia you will find it much easier for yourself and indeed the colours one is obliged to use in plan drawing are too rich and would certainly offend the eye of a person of taste. The sepia is chaste and would be preferred by all except the vulgar. At all events let people see both and if they prefer the sepia so much the better for you. | Adieu.

You must not forget that this system of wood is very much more difficult than the Cork plan and if badly done will look hideous therefore take two days hard work at it before you venture to put it on your specimen.¹⁷

RI MS JT/1/TYP/11/3864

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