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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. B. Innes   23 August [1880]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.)

Aug 23d.

My dear Innes

The discovery of Barnacles on the rocks on the mountains of Scotland wd have been an extraordinary & very interesting one, but I am sorry to say that the objects sent are not barnacles but very hard Lichens.2 I do not remember to have seen any of the same kind, but I have never studied lichens, & they are very perplexing bodies.— We returned on Saturday from Cambridge, where we staid a week with Horace & his charming little wife;3 & we enjoyed ourselves much, admiring the grandeur of Kings Coll. Chapel & the other old scenes of my early life.—

My wife has not seen poor Mrs Hoole, since her return; but I daresay you have had late news of her, as Mr Hoole was telling us what a comfort to him your letters were, & that he often wrote to you.—4

We have just had a curious scene on our lawn, viz 67 half-reformed criminals & vagabond boys who have come down here for a holiday, & to each of whom I gave sixpence.5 Some of them had very good faces & some as atrociously bad faces.

Did you see in papers an account of a burglary at High-Elms;6 it was a bad one, as the burglars tried to force their way into the Butler’s pantry; he being within with no arms.— I wish I had got your rockets for this house—7

Ever yours very truly | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from J. B. Innes, 19 August 1880.
CD and Emma visited Cambridge, staying with Horace and Ida Darwin, from 14 to 19 August 1880 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
The event was organised by the Nonconformist pastor James William Condell Fegan; Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242) records a visit from ‘Fegan Mr & boys’ on 23 August 1880.
High Elms was the home of John Lubbock. A report of the burglary was in the Pall Mall Gazette, 19 August 1880, p. 6.

Summary

JBI’s "barnacles" would have been extraordinary, but they are hard lichens.

Has revisited Cambridge.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12696
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Brodie Innes
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Cleveland Health Sciences Library (Robert M. Stecher collection)
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12696,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12696.xml

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