My dear Sir

The old adage of save me from my friends! applies with double force to disciples. If you saw the note in the Literary Gossip of the Athenæum you must I imagine feel some curiosity not altogether unmingled with dread as to the use I am going to make of your principles—¹ I send you a couple of sheets as a sample, and I need not say how highly I should prize an opinion from you upon them. You will see I have worked in one of your phrases about analogy being a deceptive guide. But my work is a complete mosaic. I make no pretensions to originality.— If it is not asking you too much would you margin note these sheets—with your assent or dissent in relation to special passages—  they would then be a pleasant souvenir for me to keep with your letters. In the last chapter of my book I give an outline of the human history from the nebular system to the present time. There is little about Africa—only one point of ethnological importance viz my belief that the Caffres are not radically distinct from negroes—the woolly hair being the only constant character of the West African & that the Caffre has. However I may be wrong, not having seen Caffres.² When I am through with this book—I suppose in two or three weeks I had better send you my dissenting remarks about music—sex. selection &^c.³—as my travels w^h. I next go to work on will contain little science⁴—& whether anything I have collected is first published by you or by me is a matter of indifference— As far as vanity goes, I prefer the former: as you give my statements a wider circulation than I can ever hope to get for them myself.

The Pall Mall Gazette will I believe review your new edition of the Origin & Mivart’s Genesis in the same article.⁵ I have taken care that the reviewer, whoever he may be, is put up to reading Huxley’s article & also to the fact that Mivart was the Quarterly Reviewer.⁶ I have seen him only once since my return, & I found him changed— I half believe he is a Jesuit. However Huxley dressed him down nicely. I was glad to hear from D Forbes⁷ that you are at work.

I may mention with reference to Expression that the native physiognomy in movement is the same as ours, as is evident from this fact—that I c^d. read their sentiments in the play of their features & I often observed them very closely studying mine.⁸

S^t. John says in his book on Sutherland that dogs are good physiognomists—⁹ that is curious— It is commonly said that parasites affect children, children breed them as the hair-dressers say. Might that not be reversion?

Hoping you are in good health | I remain my dear Sir | yours truly | W^d Reade