From P. G. King 25 February 1869
Sydney
Feb. 25/69.
My dear Mr. Darwin.
On reading the enclosed I could not help thinking of you. I suppose the variety is a sport—but who can say what might not be made of it by crossing & judicious selection—.1
Did you ever get any answers to your queries about the habits and manners of our black fellows.2 I tried to make some answers but I found myself unable to distinguish the aboriginal manner from the acquired habit. All blacks I have associated with have been more or less civilized.—
I often think of you & read yr works. I obtained the first copy of yr Domesticated Animals &c that arrived in the Colony. & noticed with much pleasure yr mention of my name—.3
I hope you enj⟨oy⟩ better health than f⟨or⟩merly— you & I will soon ⟨be the⟩ last relics of the ⟨old⟩ Beagle.4 Don’t trouble to reply to this—tho I am always pleased to get a line from you. I may take a trip home one of these days & will hunt you up.
Ever yrs sincerely | Philip Gidley King
Footnotes
Bibliography
Aust. dict. biog.: Australian dictionary of biography. Edited by Douglas Pike et al. 14 vols. [Melbourne]: Melbourne University Press. London and New York: Cambridge University Press. 1966–96.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
CD’s queries on expression of aborigines were difficult to answer because he encounters mainly those touched by civilisation. Hopes CD did get answers.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6635
- From
- Philip Gidley King
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Sydney
- Source of text
- DAR 169: 28
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp damaged
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6635,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6635.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17
