My dear Lyell

We have been here for 3 weeks on Etty’s account, but return home in a few days.—   We had Sir H. Holland here a few days ago, as we got much alarmed about poor dear Etty. He gives us hope for future, but says the fever has left mischief in internal organs, & that her recovery will be excessively slow. We have had an unhappy time of it. All this trouble has prevented my writing, which I sh^d. have done sooner, though I have nothing to say, as I have seen no one (except indeed Hooker for an hour or two at Kew) for an age. I had lots of pleasant letters about Brit. Assoc. & our side seems to have got on very well. There has been as much discussion on other side of Atlantic as on this. No one I think understands whole case better than Asa Gray, & he has been fighting nobly. He is capital reasoner; I have sent one of his printed discussions to our Athenæum, & Editor says he will print it.¹ The Quarterly has been out sometime; it contains no malice, which is wonderful considering Owen’s aid (by the way it seems generally admitted that Huxley smashed Owen at Oxford); it quizzes me really in capital style; it makes me say many things which I do not say.—   At the end it quotes all your conclusions against Lamarck & makes solemn appeal to you to keep firm in the true faith.—² I fancy it will make you quake a little. Owen has ingeniously primed the Bishop with Murchison against you as head of uniformitarians.³ Owen is really wonderfully clever in his malevolence.—

The only other review worth mentioning, which I can think of is in 3^d No^r of “London Review”; by some geologist & favourable for a wonder; it is very ably done, & I sh^d. like much to know who is author.—⁴ I shall be very curious to hear on your return, whether Bronns German Translation of the Origin has drawn any attention to subject.—⁵ Huxley is eager about a Natural History Review, which he & others are going to Edit, & he has got so many first-rate assistants, that I really believe he will make it a first-rate production.—⁶ I have been doing nothing, except a little Botanical work as amusement.—   I shall hereafter be very curious to hear how your tour has answered.— I expect your Book on Geological History of man will with a vengeance be a bomb-shell:⁷ I hope it will not be very long delayed.

Our kindest remembrances to Lady Lyell.—⁸ This is not worth sending, but I have nothing better to say. Yours affectionately | C. Darwin