78 Life atul Letters of Francis Galton 



Francis' spelling and writing do not improve, and this confirms my 

 view of much supervision at Boulogne ; but all things become freer and 

 more natural. On February 7, 1833, Francis writes : 



Dearest Pater, 



I wisli you would send me as soon as possible tliree boards just like those 

 which you gave me to carpenter upon on for very particular circumstances and send them 

 as quick as possible. I intend to direct the letter to Adele for fear if Pater should 

 not be at home you may keep it for him the directions for the size are about 1 inch in 

 thickness and a foot in breadth F. G. 



[Miss A. Galton, No. 44 Lansdowne Place, Leamington] 



When capitals and all stops disappear that boy is full of his own 

 ideas and supremely happy ! The Boulogne statements as to " happi- 

 ness " have wholly vanished, and Francis is really happy. Again : 

 My dearest Father, 



I have enclosed this note to Mrs Yard (?) as you desired me and I also hope 

 that you will put its direction on it as I do not know it. Please ask Dely to send one 



rat 

 of those ste^ iron traps like the one in which you caught your fingers with teeth and 



tell her I will discharge the immense sum of 1', S"* at the Easter Holidays. 



Francis Galton. 

 And again : 



My dearest Pater, 



Please would you let me stay here till next Tuesday because I think that 

 I could [learn a] deal more at [?from] Mr Churchill than otherwise for he teaches 

 famously. I have no more time to write so Good bye, 



Francis Galton, 

 alius 

 Snog, Lord Torment 

 and 

 Tease. 



When a boy asks to stay longer when the Christmas holidays are 

 arriving in order presumably that he may " learn a deal more " all 

 must be well with him ! Who Mr Churchill may have been, T don't 

 know\ but no man ever received a higher testimonial to his teaching. 



The Christmas holidays of 1833 had been memorable in the 

 Galton annals. An attempted robbery was made at Lansdowne Place, 

 only to be consummated some weeks later. Francis Galton gave an 

 account of the event 65 years afterwards: 



' Possibly a teacher of chemistry, for according to another memorandum Francis 

 began to study chemistry at this time, but the teacher is said to be French. 



