From G. H. Darwin 30 May 1874
Trin Coll
Sat. May 30. 74
Dear Father,
I don’t intend to give up the Descent, as I think I can stick to it however bad I am. I think it will be no use to stop Clowes sendg. proofs as I shall like to have a reserve by me, & if I shd. go abroad I might take several with me1 The MS of notes 95 Chap II & 79 Ch. III are not sent— in the latter the printers seem in doubt as to a number. You might look up the reference perhaps, p 55 note 82
Comptes rendus des Séances ? sciences—it is thus in former edit.2 I will return the proofs when done. I shall read them twice.
Thursday & yesterday were the two worst days I’ve had since March—and altho’ I had had a bad turn up of bile on Thursday morning I had another in the afternoon which was certainly the worst I have ever had—bile mucous & blood— The quantity which comes up is certainly on the increase. Except that I had to do so, I hardly know how I supported existence. As I moon about a good deal on these occasions in my room—for I ca’nt sit still, I was utterly fagged out & slept heavily— Today I’m a good deal better, tho’ I began with yellow bile before breakfast & feel very much ‘played out’. I’m getting awfully thin, as is to be expected. I suppose I shall be a little better now for a day or two, but I can’t say I expect anything from this new scheme of Dr. C’s.3
By the bye the ‘corals’ have come & I’m getting it bound.4
There is a mad cuckoo here who I suppose can’t get a mate— He is very untuneful & sings cuck cuck cuck sometimes 5 times before the ‘coo’—very staccato & not at all in good tune. Today he is singing cuckoo, both notes exceedingly staccato & quite ugly. He sings more than any other I ever heard & I heard him the other morning at 3 oclock going on with his cuck cuck cuck for ever so long.? Has’nt he failed in getting mated because he sings so badly.—
Mother’s housewife5 has come & looks very nice. The Pall Mall of last night refers to a modified childmurder amongst the Kalmuks, as they don’t take so much care of the female as of the male infants6
Yours affectly | G. H. Darwin
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Coral reefs: The structure and distribution of coral reefs. Being the first part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1842.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Variation 2d ed.: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1875.
Summary
Intends to keep working on [Descent, 2d ed.] proofs despite his illness.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9475
- From
- George Howard Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Trinity College, Cambridge
- Source of text
- DAR 210.2: 36
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9475,” accessed on 14 November 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9475.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 22