Summary

Introduces Clair Grece who wishes to translate a work on English grammar from the German.

Summary

JM offers a note for 400 guineas as author’s payment on sale of 1250 copies of 2d issue of Variation.

Summary

JM sends note for £420.

Asks CD to use his good offices on behalf of William Clowes’s son who is up for election to Athenaeum.

Summary

Finds Academy contains valuable matter for his work.

Descent progresses slowly – will not be ready for press for several months.

Summary

Asks CD whether he is far enough along with his new work [Descent] to allow him to announce it as a forthcoming publication in his next quarterly list.

Summary

MS of Descent, except last chapter, is ready to send to printer. Hopes the printer will be able to keep him steadily at work correcting proof. "It drives me mad to change from job to job."

Summary

Obliged to JM for acceding to request for an additional £50 [for Journal of researches, 2d ed.]. Will reconsider title when type is set up. Gives up the map. Writes about other details of publication.

Summary

Has sent off MS of first part [of Journal of researches, 2d ed.]. Has so much to add about Fuegians [at beginning of second part] and so much to condense and rewrite in scientific part that he may not have second part ready at end of month; it depends on his health, which is good lately.

Summary

JM informs CD that he will have Clowes give him written assurance that the printing [of Descent] will proceed without interruption.

The [Franco-Prussian] War is a sad damper on international science and his publishing plans.

Summary

CD did not promise Appleton stereotypes of text [of Descent]; only of cuts.

Wishes to know which passage JM thought "coarse". Remembers only a quotation from John Hunter on courtship of female being required "to give her desires" [Descent 1: 273]. He fancied a quotation rendered the sentence less coarse.

Summary

JM reports 1900 [advance] copies of Descent were taken at his annual sale,

and 340 copies of Origin [5th ed.] were sold.

Sheets for Dutch publisher will be sent to CD immediately. JM cautions against possibility that Dutch edition will anticipate the English.

Summary

Completes payment for 2d issue [of Descent]; has sold 1300 of the 2000 copies printed. Will probably print 2000 more for 3d issue.

Summary

Amount received from 2d issue of Descent now stands at £840. Would be glad to have 2000 more copies printed because he wants time to collect information for a corrected edition.

Summary

Asks CD’s opinion of a request from Loescher of Turin. Thinks Loescher should have named his translator.

Does CD know the name of the Times reviewer?

Summary

Has no idea who wrote the Times review [of Descent]. Writer has no knowledge of science and "seems a windbag full of metaphysics & classics".

Summary

Accedes to CD’s request to let Appleton have a set of stereotypes of the 6th English edition of Origin at a little above cost.

Summary

CD is vexed to hear that some of his friends and some booksellers complain of the type of the new [6th] edition of Origin. CD, whose eyesight is not good, had no trouble reading proofs.

Summary

JM arranges to pay CD for the latest issue of Descent.

Summary

Thanks for note; encloses copy of FitzRoy’s agreement with Henry Colburn [see 379], to the effect that after sale of first edition of Narrative, CD is at liberty to publish his Journal of researches in any manner he chooses.

Summary

CD clarifies his relationship with Henry Colburn with regard to a 2d ed. of the Journal of researches. "I never signed any agreement of any kind; but the separate sale of my Journal in the first edition was with my verbal consent & approval."