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To E. W. Brayley   8 May [1841]1

12 Upper Gower St

My dear Sir

I feel extremely obliged to you for your kindness in remembering and trouble in extracting the reference with respect to the Carb. of Lime. Owing to the state of my health it is very doubtful when I shall publish my geological memoranda but when I do, I do not doubt your references will be of valuable assistance to me.2 I feel much indebted for your kind expressions regarding my health and the few facts which I have contributed towards the complex mass composing geological Science3

Believe me dear Sir | Yours very truly | Ch Darwin

May 8th. Saturday

Footnotes

1
The year is established by the address and day of the week; CD lived at 12 Upper Gower Street from 31 December 1838 until 14 September 1842 (Correspondence vol. 2, Appendix II). During that period, 8 May fell on a Saturday only in 1841.
2
In Volcanic islands, p. 6 n., CD thanked Brayley for references suggesting that the retention of carbonic acid gas (carbon dioxide) by carbonate of lime (calcium carbonate) had more to do with the surrounding atmosphere than with pressure. Volcanic islands was published in 1844; CD had worked on it intermittently since October 1837 (Correspondence vol. 2, Appendix II). In his Geology notebook A, 41e, CD noted: ‘Mr Brayley says he can give me facts respecting lime being heated without parting with Carb. Acid.—’ (Notebooks, p. 96). CD used the notebook between 1837 and 1839 (Notebooks, p. 6).
3
Brayley’s letter has not been found. CD’s paper ‘Distribution of the erratic boulders’ had been read at the Geological Society of London on 8 May 1841; CD probably did not attend in person (Correspondence vol. 2, letter to William Lonsdale, 14 April [1841]).

Bibliography

‘Distribution of the erratic boulders’: On the distribution of the erratic boulders and on the contemporaneous unstratified deposits of South America. By Charles Darwin. [Read 5 May 1841.] Transactions of the Geological Society of London 2d ser. 6 (1841–2): 415–31. [Shorter publications, pp. 147–62. For read date, see Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 3 (1838–42): 425.]

Notebooks: Charles Darwin’s notebooks, 1836–1844. Geology, transmutation of species, metaphysical enquiries. Transcribed and edited by Paul H. Barrett et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for the British Museum (Natural History). 1987.

Volcanic islands: Geological observations on the volcanic islands, visited during the voyage of HMS Beagle, together with some brief notices on the geology of Australia and the Cape of Good Hope. Being the second part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1844.

Summary

Thanks recipient for finding reference on carbonate of lime. Doubtful when he will publish his geological memoranda.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-598F
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Edward William Brayley
Sent from
12 Upper Gower Street, London
Source of text
Christie’s, London (dealers) (online 31 October – 8 November 2018, lot 3)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 598F,” accessed on 9 November 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-598F.xml

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