Lelirjiihre tiitd WaiRlerjahre 149 



liealth and so got an honour aegrotat. I was very much vexed about my lamp, but am 

 now trying other things. I have I think a neat plan of making any balance weigh (by 

 double weighing) to the greatest accuracy. I do it by fixing the balance near its centre 

 to a bar of steel (magnetic) perpendicularly. The upper end of this carries a steel point 

 which works against an iron plate, which plate can be screwed up against one of the 

 poles of a fixed magnet, downwards, through a small space 



Galton's sketches show more clearly what he means — the mam 

 idea was a pivot or knife edge with very little friction because gravity 

 was largely balanced by magnetic pull. Any very rough balance might 

 be used as he proposed double weighing, and a fairly crude bearing, " a 

 steel point against an iron plate," as there was a minimum of pressure. 

 He probably did not intend to deal with any but very light weights 

 and balances, otherwise the magnet would need to be very powerful. 



...I think that in this way a very accurate balance might be constructed for 

 10 shillings, which would be a desideration. I will make one. 



I am having a Bramah picklock made. I smoke my Turkish or German pipe 

 nightly with somebody else, and give Theodore eau micree to drink with it — bless his 

 innocence — it comes uncommon cheap — no man can diink more than three tumblers full, 

 or it would make him sick. 



O'Brien begins on Thursday. 



Fras. Galton. 



The fourth page of the letter has a rough sketch of Galton's room — 

 "recent improvements" — "sofa drawn out before the fire." Above the 

 fireplace is a long low glass, and above this hang two pistols — clearly 

 those purchased in Smyrna (p. 138), — crossed foils, — those purchased for 

 practice at Angelo's (p. 109) — and what has the appearance of a lance, 

 which might well have been used in the famous wild boar hunt at 

 Sydnope in 1837 — when the last boar was killed, Darwin Galton 

 despatching it' : see Plate LI. 



Francis Galton's rooms were on the right-hand side of the ground 

 floor of staircase B of New Court, that is the staircase to the left of the 

 archway leading to the Avenue. The sitting-room looks east into the 



' Sir Francis S. Darwin led the chase riding " a coal black steed, of mettle high and 

 noble breed," others present were Miss Emma Darwin his daughter, his nephew Darwin 

 Galton and Frank Jessopp, who celebrated the hunt in a poem (see Darby Mercury, 

 April 8, 1874): 



" Then yelped the dogs, halloed the men, 

 Till Sydnope's echoes rang again. 

 The beast is roused with wrathful eye 

 Surveys his foes, yet scorns to fly." 

 etc. etc. etc. 



