To John Higgins 9 April [1854]
Down Farnborough Kent
April 9th.—
My dear Sir
I am almost ashamed to write, as you will think me so very capricious; but the present low prices of Guaranteed Railway shares,1 has put it into my head, that I should act wiser in investing the £14,000 in such shares;2 for supposing I could get nearly 5 per cent, the extra interest beyond what I shd. get from land, would during the rest of my life (as I do not spend my whole income) make up a depreciation fund at compound interest, to compensate for any fall in Gold,3 which, as you are aware, led me to think of land. A relation, on whose advice in money matters I generally act, takes this view. But I feel I have much cause to apologise to you. Have you surveyed any Farm on my account? If so, I trust you that you will of course inform me & let me know what I am indebted to you. But for the interview you have granted me, & some letters you have written, I hope you will be so kind as to excuse the liberty I take in enclosing a five guinea Fee.—4
Please to observe that shd. the Railway market rise much before July, I shd go back to my old scheme of purchasing a Farm,5 & I will then communicate with you.— I hope you will forgive my changeableness, which has solely been induced by changed circumstances; & I shd. much like to hear what you think of my ideas on the subject in question:
My dear Sir | Your’s very faithfully | C. Darwin J. Higgins Esqe
Footnotes
Summary
Discusses his investments.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1566
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Higgins
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Lincolnshire Archives (HIG/4/2/1/79)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1566,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1566.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 5