Dear old Darwin

I have been longing to write to you & ask what you think of Hewett Watson’s last throes— — I take for granted he has sent you his Synoptical Cybele.—¹ He wrote me a characteristic letter with it, to the effect that he hoped I thought it fair— I answered him with some tartness—that I thought it very unfair, that the passage he quotes from Flora Indica could not be made to bear the interpretation he forced upon it.—that I neither liked the tone of his criticisms, nor the language with which he spiced them, & that as we had so long agreed to differ as to what was right or wrong in matters of scientific criticism I could with truth still sign myself his truly &c—²

I have had no answer. Certainly Owen³ could not be more false or contemptuous than he is— the latter I always knew he was, but I never found him wilfully deceiving before as here in garbling a passage & then putting a false interpretation on it. I feel absolutely indifferent, but do like to pitch into H.C.W.   This was 10 days ago & I have no answer   Now tell me what you think of his mauling of your positions—

Carpenters N. Sea dredging results seem to be most curious, & especially his deep sea temperatures— do you believe in a submarine current at 32^o in the Arabian Gulf? which he quotes chapter & verse for!⁴

Have you read Croll’s last,⁵ it is very interesting & clever but not convincing as yet—but I have not finished it

What a complicated subject Geology is becoming.

The Grays went off last week.—⁶

Ever yrs affec | J D Hooker