To J. B. Innes 23 August [1880]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.)
Aug 23d.
My dear Innes
The discovery of Barnacles on the rocks on the mountains of Scotland wd have been an extraordinary & very interesting one, but I am sorry to say that the objects sent are not barnacles but very hard Lichens.2 I do not remember to have seen any of the same kind, but I have never studied lichens, & they are very perplexing bodies.— We returned on Saturday from Cambridge, where we staid a week with Horace & his charming little wife;3 & we enjoyed ourselves much, admiring the grandeur of Kings Coll. Chapel & the other old scenes of my early life.—
My wife has not seen poor Mrs Hoole, since her return; but I daresay you have had late news of her, as Mr Hoole was telling us what a comfort to him your letters were, & that he often wrote to you.—4
We have just had a curious scene on our lawn, viz 67 half-reformed criminals & vagabond boys who have come down here for a holiday, & to each of whom I gave sixpence.5 Some of them had very good faces & some as atrociously bad faces.
Did you see in papers an account of a burglary at High-Elms;6 it was a bad one, as the burglars tried to force their way into the Butler’s pantry; he being within with no arms.— I wish I had got your rockets for this house—7
Ever yours very truly | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
JBI’s "barnacles" would have been extraordinary, but they are hard lichens.
Has revisited Cambridge.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-12696
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Brodie Innes
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Cleveland Health Sciences Library (Robert M. Stecher collection)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12696,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12696.xml