From Karl Scherzer 28 May 1871
Ministry for foreign Affairs | Vienna,
May 28th. 1871
Dear Sir,
Since my return from the East I have not yet had the honour of addressing you again.1 I came back very poorly from my last voyage and am even now only recruiting. Last autumn I saw your venerated name in the foreigner’s book of a small inn at Amsteg—and learnt that two of your sons and daughters had spent the night in that place on their way to the Maderaner thal (Switzerland) but when I learned the fact the lively party had gone.—2
The whole winter I was very much occupied to prepare my Report for print, which however will not interest you much as my last mission had more a political and national–economical—than a scientific character.3 I hope to finish this account in about a month and then shall go to the Styrian Alps to restore my health and prepare for more work and new struggles …
It will be perhaps some satisfaction to you to learn that the last book which was read or rather studied by my dear departed friend, Admiral Tegetthoff the Hero of Lissa was your newest work on the descent of man—4 he frequently discussed the subject with me and was the first reader of the first copy of your Work which came to Vienna.
The principal reason of writing to you is to express to you my sincerest satisfaction that our Academy of Sciences at Vienna has just elected you his foreign honorary Member: I dare not congratulate you to this election for I think it does more honor to the electors than to the Elected. Your Election will only be proclaimed when sanctioned by the Emperor, but this is only a formality …5
Believe me, dear Sir, with my best wishes for your welfare and happiness | Your very devoted | Dr Karl v. Scherzer.
PS. | The craniological Part of the Novara publications is just finished in MS. and will be printed soon.—6
Footnotes
Bibliography
Calendar: A calendar of the correspondence of Charles Darwin, 1821–1882. With supplement. 2d edition. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1994.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
EB: The Encyclopædia Britannica. A dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information. 11th edition. 29 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1910–11.
Hochstetter, Ferdinand von. 1864–6. Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair. Geologischer Theil. Vol. 1 (part 1) Geologie von Neu-Seeland. Vol. 2 (part 1) Geologische Beobachtungen. Vienna: Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei.
Weisbach, A. 1867. Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair: Anthropologischer Theil. Zweite Abtheilung, ‘Körpermessungen’. Vienna: Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei.
Zuckerkandl, E. 1875. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara: 1. Abtheilung: Cranien der Novara-Sammlung. Vienna: Carl Gerold’s Sohn.
Summary
Craniological part of Novara voyage report is done.
Expresses his satisfaction at CD’s election as a Foreign Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, Vienna.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9998
- From
- Karl von Scherzer
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vienna
- Source of text
- DAR 177: 51
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9998,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9998.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19
