WCP6596

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Feb^r 9th. 1896

My dear Clement Reid

My friends are much pleased with the prospects opened by 2nd[?] letter. I must tell you who they are as the name may puzzle you — Coomara Swamy ! The young fellow's mother is a sister of Mr. Beeby the botanist, whom I think you know a little, She married a Cingalese [Sinhalese] gentleman, a barrister & Member of the Ceylon Legislature, who came here on some Government business & was knighted¹. He then met Miss Beeby & they were married, went back to Ceylon where a son² was born [2] and very soon after the father died. His wife — Lady Coomara Swamy — came home with her boy, & we made their acquaintance at Croydon where we & they were then living. She was at that time one of the most beautiful young women I have known. They are a clever family, but poor. Young Coomara Swamy however will have a moderate fortune from his father when of age, but his mother wished him to have some profession or occupation, & he has himself taken ardently to geology. He is very dark & with strong marked oriental features, unfortunately taking [3] after his father almost exclusively, but he is decidedly clever & I think now a very pleasant young fellow, though he was as a child most eccentric & precocious. His geology he has taught himself spending all his holiday working at it. He had just begin the S. Kensington course when his health failed. He is very careful & methodical, and I fancy he will make a good geologist, & that he will be able, now, to do all you want to assist in the Hampshire Basin work. He tells me he has worked through some of the Gloucestershire Oolites with the Survey Memoir. In about [4] two or three weeks he will be going home to Worplesdon near Guildford, & will then come up to see you, after making an appointment. You will then see what he knows, & can perhaps give him some bit of trial work to do for till Easter just to show what is in him. After that time I hope he will be well enough to work regularly in the field. I shall be very glad if he turns out well & shall be obliged to you for any help you can give him as I like his mother & all the family very much. They are very advanced people, but rather faddy — strong vegetarians for one thing ! Hoping your kindness will be rewarded by a good assistant,

Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]