From Robert FitzRoy [20 March 1839]
Chester Street
Wednesday Evg.
Dear Darwin
I certainly objected as strenuously as I could to Mr. Colburn’s loading our already too thick volumes with a pack of advertisements—such as one sees in every Review or monthly Magazine—but there is surely every reason for my wishing that an advertisement of the Zoology which you are bringing out—as well as of your forthcoming Work on Geology—should be attached to some part of the three volumes.1
Mr. Colburn may not like allowing his publications to be the medium of advertising another Publisher’s works—but—for my part—I should be very glad to see notices of the books mentioned (Zoology & Geology) attached to either one of the three volumes.
I am sure you will agree with me in thinking it desirable to avoid swelling the volumes with ordinary advertisements. King’s is 600 pages—mine is 696—your’s I conclude (with your appendix) to be between 640 and 700, and my appendix is 360.2 These with about fifty plates will be tolerably thick volumes. I hope that Gardner has printed off your last plate. He had not done so the middle of last week. The Keeling Islands are reserved for one of your covering boards— In the other I conclude you will put your map.3 I have been intending to call on you these many days but have not had time for the excursion. My only walks lately have been to 35—Essex Street4 —Colburn’s & the Printer’s.
Very truly your’s | Robt. FitzRoy
P.S. There is something very vacillating & unsatisfactory about B. H— and his Review— He has been very shilly shally and self-contradictory.5
Footnotes
Bibliography
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Narrative: Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty’s ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836. [Edited by Robert FitzRoy.] 3 vols. and appendix. London: Henry Colburn. 1839.
Summary
Has objected to loading Narrative with advertisements, but thinks CD’s Zoology and Geology might be advertised. Mentions other details of the final stages of publication.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-500
- From
- Robert FitzRoy
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Chester St
- Source of text
- DAR 204: 146
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 500,” accessed on 6 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-500.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 2