From John Lubbock 28 July 1864
High Elms, | Farnborough, | Kent.
28 July 64
My dear Mr. Darwin
You must I fear have thought that I had altogether forgotten your commissions;1 but I was very busy the first two or three days of the week.
Smith & Beck’s microtome seems to be merely a fine pair of scissors.2 Valentine’s knife is the instrument for thin sections.3
As for microscopic spectacles I send you a pair & also a binocular handmicroscope, which I took from Smith & Beck’s on approval, please return them soon if you dont like them.4
After leaving you I came to great grief, smashing my pony carriage to pieces & damaging the poor pony but doing myself no harm. I am sorry to say that the book you lent me got a little damaged, which I hope you will excuse
Was it not odd our falling in with Hooker on his way to you;5 we did not think him looking quite the thing, but very likely his day with you quite set him up.
Hoping to see you again, I remain, dear Mr Darwin | Yours very affectionately | John Lubbock
C Darwin Esq
P.S. Is the book that you recommended me “Cap. Greys Travels in North West & Western Australia.”?6
Footnotes
Bibliography
Beck, Richard. 1865. A treatise on the construction, proper use, and capabilities of Smith, Beck, and Beck’s achromatic microscopes. London: John Van Voorst.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Grey, George. 1841. Journals of two expeditions of discovery in north-west and western Australia, during the years 1837, 38, and 39. 2 vols. London: T. and W. Boone.
LL: The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. Edited by Francis Darwin. 3 vols. London: John Murray. 1887–8.
Natural selection: Charles Darwin’s Natural selection: being the second part of his big species book written from 1856 to 1858. Edited by R. C. Stauffer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1975.
Quekett, John. 1848. Quekett’s practical treatise on the use of the microscope. London: Hippolyte Bailliere. Paris: J. B. Baillere.
Turner, Gerard L’E. 1989. The great age of the microscope: the collection of the Royal Microscopical Society though 150 years. Bristol and New York: Adam Hilger.
Summary
Has obtained microscopes for CD.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4575
- From
- John Lubbock, 4th baronet and 1st Baron Avebury
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- High Elms
- Source of text
- DAR 170: 46
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4575,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4575.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12
