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Letter from Charles Darwin to [H. W. Bates] 4132

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Transcription: "Dear Bates You will have received before this the note which I addressed to Leicester, after finishing vol. I, & you will have receive
Show moreTranscription: "Dear Bates You will have received before this the note which I addressed to Leicester, after finishing vol. I, & you will have received copies of my little Review of your paper. By the way I heard yesterday from Asa Gray that his article on same is delayed till next number in Silliman's Journal. I have now finished vol. 2. & my opinion remains the same; that you have written a truly admirable work, with capital original remarks, first-rate descriptions, & the whole in a style which could not be improved. My family are now reading the book & admire it extremely; & as my wife remarks, it has so strong an air of truthfulness. I had a letter from a person the other day, unknown to you, full of praise of the book. I do hope it may get extensively heard of & circulated; but to a certain extent this, I think, always depends on chance. I suppose the clicking noise of surprise made by the Indian, is that which end of tongue applied to palate of mouth & suddenly withdrawn makes? I have not written since receiving your note of April 20th, in which you confide in me & tell me your prospects- I heartily wish they were better & especially more certain; but with your abilities & powers of writing it will be strange if you cannot add what little you require for your income. I am glad that you have got a retired & semi-rural situation. What a grand ending you give to your book contrasting civilisation & wild life! I quite regret that I have finished it: every evening it was a real treat to me to have my half hour in the grand Amazonian forest, & picture to myself your vivid descriptions. There are heaps of facts of value to me in a Nat. Hist. point of view- It is a great misfortune that you were prevented giving the discussion on species. But you will, I hope, be able to give your views & facts somewhere else. Once again I congratulate you & believe me, Yours very sincerely, C. Darwin We shall stay here till Wednesday & then move for a week to J. Wedgwood's Esqr Leith Hill Place Dorking Surrey We have come for change for my Boy & own health-sake" Letter, signed by sender. Sent from Down House, near Beckenham, Kent, England.
The Robert M. Stecher Collection of Charles Darwin Books and Manuscripts
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Creator

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882

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http://hdl.handle.net/2186/ksl:ditalldar00057