From W. B. Bowles 18 May 1877
5, Rue Scribe. | Paris,
le 18th. May— 1877
Dear Sir,
Now that the letter is written which accompanies this, I hesitate to send it, as altho’ I pass for a man of good common sense, I cant make up my mind whether what I have written is sense or nonsense1
The subject interests me greatly, and as I have met these speaking monkey in society all over the world I should like to account for their presence in some way or other. Their presence is not confind to the lower orders where generations of ignorance and poor living might account for them, but you find them in multituds among the higer classes where often a superficial polish serves to hide the absence of humanity beneath.—
Respy yours | Wm. B Bowles
Charles Darwin, Esq F.R.S. | London.
Footnotes
Summary
Is less certain of views in letter of 17 May [10963]. Asserts interest in explaining the presence of "speaking monkeys", which occur in higher as well as lower classes.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10965
- From
- William Burrows Bowles
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Paris
- Source of text
- DAR 160: 264
- Physical description
- ALS 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10965,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10965.xml