80 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



should fill up my watch-pocket and as the aforesaid article has not been found in the 

 hands of anybody I do assuredly hope and expect that the next time my foot shall cross 

 the threshold of No. 44 a silver watch shall be given into the hands of me. Herein 

 fail not. 



I have been going on with my chemistry very hard and please give a thousanfl 

 thanks to TraT-qp for Turner since it is of a deal of use to me. As the sole import 

 of this letter is to remind you, mammy, of the watch I have nothing else to say so 

 good bye Tut Squagde. 



One more letter, written to his sister just before the summer 

 vacation to be spent at Weymouth, and the happy days at Kenilworth 

 come to an end. 



[Be/ore June 12, 1834.] 

 My dear ADi)LE, 



I think that when you write to me you might possibly remember to put 

 where you live for the letter that you last sent to me had not the direction in it so that 

 when I come to Weymouth I shall not know where to go unless you write. (Please 

 don't read the following loud but let it be secret. Coax Pater as much as you can to 

 get me a gun and ask him when he is not at all in a black humour and I leave the rest 

 of it to yourself.) I hope that Poddy has quite recovered-ber fright and is much better 

 and I wish I had been there to enjoy the fun'. I wish that you had not gone to 

 Weymouth for you said in your last letter that it was a large place which makes it as 

 bad as even Brighton. Try and get a great many eggs of rare sorts but not of the 

 common for I have a great many of them and cover them with rather weak gum and 

 water instead of blowing them and try and learn their names. I am coming on the 1 9th 

 and are there many places for fishing Atwood is gone out for three days and 

 Hugh Williams goes on the 12th. Good bye and remember what I asked you. 



Frank Galton. 



Fishing, birds'-nesting, possibly I fear shooting sea-birds, such 

 were the occupations of Frank's summer holiday. Soon after his return 

 home a new school was found for him. Tertius Galton retained the 

 Quaker dislike of pubUc school education and he still held to th.e 

 Birmingham tradition. Had the former been based on the perception 

 that a classical education was idle for Frank, it had been justified, but 

 he sent him into the centre of a big town — to obtain a suitable 

 education as its justification ? No ! to obtain precisely the classical 

 drilling which at least he would have obtained under healthier environ- 

 ment in several public schools. It is remarkable to look now on the 



' I think this must refer to the following incident : Mr Galton had purchased 

 horses for his daughters to ride, and when two of them were out passing the barracks, 

 the drums began to beat, and one of the steeds bolted with its mistress into the barrack 

 yard and took its place at the head of the regiment — it was an old troop-horse. 



