My dear Sir

Absence from home has prevented me from at once thanking you for your report, which appears to me satisfactory and I hope satisfies you.¹ I will get it copied and send it to Mr. Caird and to Mr. Farrer; but the latter has been seriously unwell and all his official duties, I fear, are in arrear.² I will then call their attention to your offer to send them some of the varieties. You will remember that I hold money subscribed in aid of your experiments. As I am still away from home, I forget the exact sum, £75, or £80, or £85, I think. Will you kindly let me hear about this. I should like to return some to the subscribers. I do not want a penny back of what I subscribed, for it has been a pleasure to me to aid you in your noble endeavours to confer on your country a public benefit. I do not think that Mr. Farrer would care about any part of his subscription being returned. Please tell me how you are situated, and then when I send copies of your Report, I can report to the subscribers about the money. I told Mr. Caird that I held the above amount to be advanced to you or partly or wholly returned to him for the co-subscribers.³

Under the present dreadful state of Ireland, I fear it will be impossible to attract Mr. Forster’s attention.⁴

With renewed good wishes for your success in all ways, I remain, | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin.