Cii. XI.] 1858—1859. 199 



think I may wash my hands of all responsibility. I am sure 

 my friends, i.e. Lyell and you, have been extraordinarily kind 

 in troubling yourselves on the matter. 



I shall be delighted to see you the day before Good Friday ; 

 there would be one advantage for you in any other day — as 

 I believe both my boys come home on that day — and it would 

 be almost impossible that I could send the carriage for you. 

 There will, I believe, be some relations in the house — but I 

 hope you will not care for that, as we shall easily get as much 

 talking as my imbecile state allows. I shall deeply enjoy 

 seeing you. 



... I am tired, so no more. 



P.S. — Please to send, well tied up with strong string, my 

 Geographical MS. towards tho latter half of next week — i.e. 

 7th or 8th — that I may send it with more to Murray ; and God 

 help him if ho tries to read it. 



... I cannot help a little doubting whether Lyell would 

 take much pains to induce Murray to publish my book ; this 

 was not done at my request, and it rather grates against my 

 pride. 



I know that Lyell has been infinitely kind about my affair, 

 but your dashed [i.e. underlined] " induce " gives the idea that 

 Lyell had unfairly urged Murray. 



C. D. to J. Murray. Down, April 5th [1859]. 



My dear Sir, — I send by this post, the Title (with some 

 remarks on a separate page), and the first three chapters. If 

 you have patience to read all Chapter I., I honestly think you 

 will have a fair notion of the interest of the whole book. It 

 may be conceit, but I believe the subject will interest the 

 public, and I am sure that the views are original. If you 

 think otherwise, I must repeat my request that you will freely 

 reject my work ; and though I shall be a little disappointed, I 

 shall bo in no way injured. 



If you choose to read Chapters II. and III., you will have a 

 dull and rather abstruse chapter, and a plain and interesting 

 one, in my opinion. 



As soon as you have done with the MS., please to send it 

 by careful messenger, and plainly directed, to Miss G. Tollett,* 

 14, Queen Anne Street, Cavendish Square. 



This lady, being an excellent judge of style, is going to look 

 out for errors for me. 



* Miss Tollett was an old friend of the family. 



