Scott, John to Darwin, C. R.
- +
Asks for additional financial aid for trip to India.
Summary Add
Transcription
Denholm
29
Sir.
I duly received your letter of the 26
I have thus deferred mentioning to you any want of money, until I have given myself I fear little to time to again receive aid from you ere hearing from the agent as to sailing. I assure you I feel deeply in so heavily taxing your generosity—even though you have so repeatedly pressed me to let you know as to my pecuniary wants. These indeed would have been materially lessened had I not been so long out of a situation. I sincerely hope, therefore, that you will on this account excuse me in asking you for additional assistance to clear expenses here—and further believe that I am not unnecessarily drawing on your liberality.
I would therefore be greatly obliged by your transmitting to me a cheque for the amount
which you think I might require on arriving in Calcutta, and also if you would include a
little for sundry items & expenses here. You would
thus enable me to meet all which I may incur in this country, & I fear not from
the recomendations which you have induced D
Permit me again to assure you that I feel very sorry that I should have occasion to ask you for further pecuniary assistance here: and I will only add that whatever you are pleased to grant me now, as well as that which you have already laid out on my account will be fully & pleasently repaid so soon as I am fairly settled & succeeding in India.
With this hope, I would thus respectfully solicit your aid, and beg you to excuse my
not stating any sum, And now with best thanks for your kindness to me | I have the
honour to remain | Sir | Your obed
P.S. I suppose a few standard works on Nat. Hist. will be all the books that I need take with me.
- +
- f1 4578.f1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from John Scott, 2 August 1864. - +
- f2 4578.f2
CD's letter to Scott has not been found. - +
- f3 4578.f3
Following Joseph Dalton Hooker's advice, Scott was preparing to embark for India to seek employment (see letter from J. D. Hooker, 19 May 1864, letter to John Scott, 21 May [1864], and letter from John Scott, 28 May [1864]). The shipping agent was Henry Taylor (see letter from J. D. Hooker, [29 July 1864] and n. 2). - +
- f4 4578.f4
CD had given Scott £25 for his voyage (see second letter from John Scott, 10 June [1864]). - +
- f5 4578.f5
After Scott left his position at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, in March, CD offered to assist him financially (see letter to John Scott, 9 April 1864; see also letter from John Scott, 16 May [1864] and n. 11, and letter to John Scott, 21 May [1864] and n. 5). In his letter to J. D. Hooker of 22 [May 1864], CD wrote that he would pay for Scott's voyage and initial expenses on arrival in Calcutta, if necessary. - +
- f6 4578.f6
CD sent a cheque for £10 (see letter from John Scott, 2 August 1864 and nn. 1 and 2). - +
- f7 4578.f7
Between April and June 1864, CD had corresponded at length with Hooker regarding Scott's prospects. After some hesistation, Hooker made enquiries about a post for Scott in India, and furnished Scott with letters of introduction to Thomas Anderson and Arthur Grote (see letter from J. D. Hooker, [4 June 1864]).