My dear Sulivan

It was very good of you to write to me so long a letter, telling me much about yourself & your children which I was extremely glad to hear.—² Think what a benighted wretch I am, seeing no one & reading but little in the newspapers, for I did not know (untill seeing the paper of the your Nat. Hist. Soc^y.) that you were a K.C.B.³ Most heartily glad I am, that the Government has at last appreciated your most just claim for this high distinction.— On the other hand I am sorry to hear so poor an account of your health; but you were surely very rash to do all that you did & then pass through so exciting a scene, as a ball at the Palace.⁴ It was enough to have tired a man in robust health.— Complete rest, will, however, I hope, quite set you up again. As for myself I have been rather better of late, & if nothing disturbs me I can do some hours work every day. I shall this autumn publish another book partly on Man, which I daresay many will decry as very wicked.—⁵ I could have travelled to Oxford, but could no more have withstood the excitement of a commemoration than I could a ball at Buckingham Palace.—⁶ Many thanks for your kind remarks about my boys. Thank God all give me complete satisfaction: my third stands second at Woolwich & will be an Engineer officer at Christmas.⁷ My wife desires to be very kindly remembered to Lady Sulivan, in which I very sincerely join, & in congratulations about your daughter’s marriage.⁸ We are at present solitary, for all our younger children are gone on tour in Switzerland.⁹ I had never heard a word about the success of the T. del Fuego mission.—¹⁰ It is most wonderful, & shames me, as I always prophecied utter failure. It is a grand success.— I shall feel proud if your Committee think fit to elect me an Honorary member of your Soc^y.—¹¹

With all good wishes & affectionate remembrances of ancient days. Believe me, my dear Sulivan | your sincere friend | Ch. Darwin