To T. H. Huxley 9 July [1869]1
Caerdeon | Barmouth. N. Wales
July 9th.
My dear Huxley
I wd. not trouble you if I could think of anyone else to apply to; but ask Mrs. Huxley2 to answer me.—
Häckel is hard at work at Calcareous Sponges & is actually starting soon to Norway to study them.3 He says he badly wants British specimens. Now can you suggest anyone or two men to whom I could apply with fair chance of success?— I know so few naturalists now-a days.— Häkel forgets to say whether he requires the specimens in spirits or dry. Can you answer this? I feel bound to do anything Häckel asks me.—
We shall remain here all this month; but I have been much disappointed at gaining no strength & failing to climb even a hill, & I had longed once again to set foot on summit of a mountain.—
What a splendid success, as I hear on all sides, your Comte article has been.—4 Give my kindest remembrances to Mrs. Huxley & all your dear little ones.— Ever Yours | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Haeckel wants British specimens of calcareous sponges. Can THH tell him to whom he can apply?
Health not improving – cannot climb even a hill.
Has heard THH’s article on Comte ["Scientific aspects of Positivism", Lay sermons (1870)] is a splendid success.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6823
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thomas Henry Huxley
- Sent from
- Caerdeon
- Source of text
- Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 271)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6823,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6823.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17
