Pinewood Grange
Camberley
June 15. 1908
My dear Wallace
I should have sent you the enclosed before, but I mislaid your address and only came across it yesterday. The notes are from Mr Hose, formerly of the Sarawak Service. You will notice that Dr Duckworth quite confirms your measurements of the Orangutan. [2]
I have just edited a book called "Essays on Shakeseare and his works; it was published by Smith & Elder on May 26th. I am afraid it is a last literary venture, as my eyesight is failing fast, and I can only write for a few minutes at a time.
Hoping you are well | Ever sincerely yours | Spenser St. John [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP1411.1190)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
"Marudi,"
Queens Park Road,
Bournemouth.
April 28th 1908
Dear Sir Spencer St. John
I enclose a letter from Dr. Duckworth1 of Cambridge giving the measurements of the largest Orangutans which I have obtained, and also that of Fick's specimen. you will see that he estimates the height [2] of the largest specimen to be about 4 ft. 3 in.
I hope these measurements may be of use to you.
Yours sincerely | Charles Hose [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP1411.1435)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Jesus College
April 25.1908
Dear Hose1
Here are some measurements of the Mias skeletons
| Humerus | Radius | Femur | [2 words illeg.] | R[igh]t. Clavicle | |
| ♂2 No. 1 | 358 mm | 365 | 270 | 254 | 190 |
| ♂ No. 6 | 400 " | 390 (?) | 305 | 390 | |
| Ficks spec[i]m[en] | 380 " | 410 | 295 | ||
| ♀ No. 4 | 362 | 376 | 293 | 270 |
Nos 1, 6 are males from your collections No. 6 the large male of which the head is measured entire. No. 4 a female has the <Hose?> [MS illeg.]. Fick's3 specimen is described fully in the "Archiv für Anatomie" 1895. It measured 1 m 250 in stature with a s[MS illeg.]. of 2 m 050. I think your No. 6 was rather larger, say 1 m <3?>00 stature or about 4ft 3. I don't believe they have ever been found much taller, but I daresay a 4ft 3 Mias corpse might be laid out so as to give 5ft or so. I can find no <records?> of weights of adults at present, but I thought you would be chiefly interested in estimates of height.
Yours very truly | W.L.H. Duckworth4 [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP1411.1436)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
"Marudi,"
Queens Park Road,
Bournemouth.
April 23rd 1908
Dear Sir Spenser St John
Thank you for your letter of the 20th. I will write to Dr Duckworth1 at Cambridge and ask him to send me the measurements of of some Orang Utan which I obtained and which are now at Cambridge.
I have not read your [2] book "The Earlier Adventures of a Naval Officer" nor anything that Wallace has written recently on the Orang Utan, but I think I can give you the measurements of two very large specimens.
I enclose a photograph I took of a fairly large male, about two hours after it had been killed, which you may perhaps like to have. [3] I have retired from the Sarawak Service and have settled down in Bournemouth. I am writing a book on the people of Sarawak.
Believe me | Yours sincerely | Charles Hose [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP1411.1437)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Envelope addressed "Professor Alfred Wallace, Broadstone, Wimborne" with stamp, postmarked "JU 15 08". Note on front in ARW's hand "Sir Spencer [sic] St. John | About Orangs — measurements, none bigger than mine." Embossed on seal flap "Pinewood Grange, Camberley". Illegible partial postmark on back. [Envelope (WCP1411.1434)]
Please cite as “WCP1411,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 4 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1411