Darwin, C. R. to Crawfurd, John
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Thanks JC for pamphlets.
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"I do not believe in Metempsychosis nor in Genesis – & you are growing so orthodox, that you will end your days, I believe, in believing in the Tower of Babel–."
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Transcription
Down Bromley Kent
April 7 61
My dear M
Very many thanks for your note & kind present of the two pamplets I felt sure the one I asked about, was by you: but I did not know whether you acknowledged it. I can now refer to it as read at Oxford in 186-- I will look to Book about Indian dates.— I do not believe in metempsychosis nor in Genesis—& you are growing so orthodox, that you will end your days, I believe, in believing in the Tower of Babel—
With sincere thanks | Yours very sincerely | C Darwin
PS I have just read & been much interested by your essay on the Horse I thank you much for having sent it. What a store of knowledge you possess
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- f1 3114.f1
In addition to sending CD a copy of Crawfurd 1860b (see n. 5, below), Crawfurd apparently sent an abstract of Crawfurd [1860a], which was published in the Report of the 30th meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science held at Oxford, Transactions of the sections, p. 155. - +
- f2 3114.f2
Crawfurd [1860a]. See letter to John Crawfurd, 25 March [1861], and n. 1, above. A dash for the year was left by the copyist. - +
- f3 3114.f3
It is not known to what book CD refers, although it may be a work by the orientalist Horace Hayman Wilson. CD had asked Crawfurd about the dating of the `Institutes of Manu' (see letter to John Crawfurd, 25 March [1861]). In Variation 1: 246, CD wrote concerning the domestication of fowls in India:In India it must have been domesticated when the Institutes of Manu were written, that is, according to Sir W. Jones 1200 B.C. , but according to the later authority of Mr. H. Wilson, only 800B.C. , for the domestic fowl is forbidden. Whilst the wild is permitted to be eaten. - +
- f4 3114.f4
Crawfurd's orthodox religious views were readily apparent in his review of Origin ([Crawfurd] 1859). See Correspondence vol. 7, letters to Charles Lyell, 2 December [1859], and to T. H. Huxley, [5 December 1859]. - +
- f5 3114.f5
Crawfurd 1860b.