My dear old George.

We came here on Thursday & have seen lots of people, but there is nothing especial to tell.² Uncle Ras, whom I have seen twice is steadily progressing (Monday, he had a worse day yesterday) though very slowly: he now sits up in his bed-room for some hours in the afternoon & is very cheerful.³ We received your last letter last night.⁴ It is wonderful what a number of people you have become acquainted with. I have always heard what a bore it is that there are no nice walks. Thanks for looking out for castings.⁵ It is hopeless where the soil is dry.— Perhaps you may see some whenever you go into the interior. I remember that the Lyells were charmed with the inland & lofty parts of the island.⁶ We came up at this particular time that I might attend Burdon Sandersons Lecture at R. Inst. on the movements of plants & animals compared.⁷ He gave a very good lecture, but by a most ridiculous mistake his preliminary part was so long that he never got to plants—the very object of the Lecture—& had to shut up without saying a word about them. I was received with great honour & placed by De le Rue along side the chairman & was applauded on my entrance!⁸

One experiment was very striking—the measurement of the rate of transmission in man of the order to move a muscle, & it took about $\frac{1}{200}$^th of a second—the distance being a little over 1 foot.

I have been trying to have an interview with D. of Argyll, who wrote 2 most civil notes to me, dated “Privy Seal Office” & saying that he w^d see me “here” at 10^o 30′.⁹ So I went to the Office, & an old clerk expressed unbounded astonishment, declaring why “he never comes here—he has nothing to do here”. So I must go tomorrow to Argyll House.¹⁰ He evidently takes home the Official Stationery & uses it as his own House.

I enclose Reginald Darwin’s cordial & nice letter, which may be burnt.—¹¹

You will have heard of the triumph of the Ladies at Cambridge. The majority was so enormous that many men on both sides did not think it worth voting. The minority was received with jeers.¹² Horace was sent to to the Lady’s College to communicate the success & was received with enthusiasm.¹³ Frank & F. Galton¹⁴ went up to vote. We had F. Galton to Down. (M^rs G. was unwell & could not come) on last Sunday.¹⁵ He was splendid fun & told us no end of odd things. He is certainly a most agreeable man, & we all liked him extremely, but he is becoming awfully deaf. Bill Marshall was there & did not seem very flourishing, poor fellow, & I fear is doing but little as an architect.¹⁶

Mamma orders me to order you to get an Alpen-stock to save you from tumbling on the slippery roads.—

We have just been calling on the Huxleys. & he looks awfully haggard.¹⁷ I told him about Sanderson’s Lecture, & he remarked that was nothing unusual: Sanderson told his wife¹⁸ that a lot of men were coming to supper at 9 oclock & that she must have a good supper ready & had better not appear. So at about 9 oclock the visitors appeared & talked very pleasantly till 11 oclock, when they went away & he accompanied the last man down to the door, & in passing the Dining Room he saw the untouched supper all laid out & cried out “Good God I have forgotten the supper”.—

Monday— I have just returned from a very long call on the Duke of A. He was very agreeable & we discussed many subjects, & he was not all cocky. He was awfully friendly & said he sh^d. come some day to Down & hoped I would come to Inverary! He said that he had heard that you had been in the ship with his son, from whom he had received a Telegram at the Cape, saying that he was much better.—¹⁹

Good Bye dear old George | Your affectionate Father | Ch. Darwin