To Horace Darwin 1 November [1877]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
Nov. 1
My dear Horace
I have had a very civil letter from the son of Ld Eldon’s agent, but it is clear he has got no information worth anything, but says he will observe again.—
He tells me that at Cirencester there is a Roman pavement, exposed 50 years ago, & that this is not level, & this is a point about which I am curious.—2 Thinking over whole case, it seems to me that it wd be very desirable for my work, that you shd. inspect Chedworth in the big woods & Cirencester.3 You wd have to go to the latter to visit Chedworth.— Will it interfere seriously with your Cambridge plans, for if so I shd. not at all like you to go?— Frank says he shd. like to go with you. I cd afterwards tell you the several points— A whole day at Chedworth or rather at Foss Bridge4 would suffice, & day at Cirencester. I have asked Mr Hall to give me letter of introduction for you to person in charge. The job wd be to get a labourer, & I shd like one hole dug beneath foundations of one of the old walls to a depth of 1 foot or 18 inches.—
I hope that your water-works progress well.—5
Pick the surgeon was here yesterday & say Lennys knee is going on as well as possible—6 —No inflammation.— & that in a fortnights time he is with knee-caps on to try a kind of walking first with 2 crutches & then with one.— By next summer he thinks knee will be quite strong.—
Fairly good account today of Litchfield—7
Your affect Father | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Earthworms: The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1881.
Emma Darwin (1915): Emma Darwin: a century of family letters, 1792–1896. Edited by Henrietta Litchfield. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1915.
Summary
Wants HD to observe earthworm activity at Roman antiquities of Chedworth and Cirencester.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11221
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Horace Darwin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 185: 4
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11221,” accessed on 31 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11221.xml