last seven months more than usually out of order   in fact I was regarded by my medical attendants at one time as in sate of great danger—. violent rheumatic fever extending to the Heart was the illness and I dare say you will ere this have noticed from my writing that my fingers are not yet as they were before the attack.

I have just finished reading your most interesting volumes on the Orchids²   how you must have laboured— you will leave a name for yourself which were be named with admiration long after you and I shall have ceased to exist   I think you will give me credit for wishing you every good thing to which a person with claims such as you have may fairly expect.

My own health does not enable me to do much   still I go on amusing myself principally in enquiries about the natives of South Africa, their languages &c. also in endeavouring to trace if any connection between them and the population of Northern Africa is to found.³ I think I have made out some points of interest but the whole subject is one of such difficulty that I almost despair of any ones being able to ascertain how far the various tribes are related to each other.

With reference to a question of yours I do not recollect having seen that the natives of Australia in times of scarcety eat of the vegetable production natives of the soil, but I have no doubt they do   in fact all people who do not cultive the ground for their food trust not a little to what nature offers them.— the Bushmen when the young bulbs of a certain Gladiolus are in force and the larva of ants in season get quite independent & even fat. the whole year round these wild Hottentots have roots &. on which they depend for a portion of their diet⁴

I am | My Dear Darwin | Yours most faithfully | Andrew Smith