From Thomas Howie 20 April 1877
Vinita Cherokee Nation | Ind Ter
April 20th 1877
Dr Sir
a young gentelman of this place a beleaver in science requists me to make the following statement as he like myself thinks if you are not already aware of it, it might be a link that would enable you to solve the great work you have already progresed with
(viz) In the year 1863 whilst working in the Colony of Victoria Australia at gold mining on the devide between the head of the Golbourn and the Yara rivers I discovered that many of the Young Ferns Shrubs that I dug up that the roots were alive and moved like worms or Grubs1 In fact they were not so repulsave haveing the apearance more like small human fingers than any thing I could compair them to the lower ends had more life than the uper part which resembeled the ordinary roots of other shrubs I observed that theire were genarly three live roots to each plant
if the foregoeing should be of any service to you all I ask of you is to acknolage it by droping me a few lines eather to my adress In this countray or to to my sister Mrs H Carson 25 St Pauls Place Cannonbury Islington London England2 if to the later I will be shure to get it
very respectfully | Thos Howie
P O Box 104 Vinita | Cherokee Nation | Ind Ter | U S America
PS I am well known In Australia being the first white man that ever crossed the Australian Alps from Gipps Land via the Baw Baw range and the first to discover the head watters of the La Trobe the Yara and Big river I succeded whare Dr Müller failed eaven with Black Guides My report was published in the Melbourne argus Feby 14th 62 or 63 and is on file In the National Liberary Melbourne3
Footnotes
Bibliography
Aust. dict. biog.: Australian dictionary of biography. Edited by Douglas Pike et al. 14 vols. [Melbourne]: Melbourne University Press. London and New York: Cambridge University Press. 1966–96.
Columbia gazetteer of the world: The Columbia gazetteer of the world. Edited by Saul B. Cohen. 3 vols. New York: Columbia University Press. 1998.
Summary
Offers key to CD’s theory: fern roots are like little grubs.
Claims to have crossed the Australian Alps where Dr Müller [Ferdinand von Mueller?] failed.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10934
- From
- Thomas Howie
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Vinita Okla.
- Source of text
- DAR 166: 276
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10934,” accessed on 13 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10934.xml