To J. S. Henslow 20 February [1854]
Down Farnborough Kent
Feb. 20th—
My dear Henslow
Enclosed is the answer to your query: when complete the work will consist, I believe, of 6 numbers, lately only 4 were published.—1
I am glad to hear that you have been lecturing, as a sign, I trust, that you have been pretty well.2 Your “Museum Notices” if published, would, I should think, make a complete Encyclopædia of all the Sciences!
Have you seen Hooker’s book3 yet: it is most beautifully got up & illustrated, & I feel greatly honoured & very much gratified at the wonderful compliment of its dedication to me.— I have read about a hundred pages, & like it very much.—
I saw a letter a few days ago from Lyell from Madeira:4 he was enjoying the scenery & geology beyond measure & was going to start in a few days for Teneriffe.— Mrs. Bunbury has profited in health wonderfully from her voyage, & been better than she has been for years.—5
Do, I most heartily beg you, keep to your proposal of paying us a visit on your return from Mr. Jenyn’s.6 & we will go to the Crystal Palace.7
We could send to Edenbridge Station (eleven miles) to meet you, sleep here, & go next day or next day but one to the Palace; & thus the great rectangle which the S.E. Railway makes, would be cut off.—8
My dear Henslow, I most sincerely hope that you are well.— | Ever yours | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Russell-Gebbett, Jean. 1977. Henslow of Hitcham: botanist, educationalist and clergyman. Lavenham, Suffolk: Terence Dalton.
Summary
Honoured and gratified by the dedication [to CD] of Hooker’s book [Himalayan journals].
News of Lyell from Madeira.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1554
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Stevens Henslow
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- California State Library, San Francisco, Sutro Library (Crocker collection: folder #11)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1554,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1554.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 5