548 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



a "Swallow " at all hut an immense chalk-pit with vertical sides 100 feet high ami grass and trees 

 growing in it. Quite a charming place to spend hours in. It is melancholy how late the sun 

 gets up now, and how early he goes to bed. Did you hear of Guy Lethbridge's reception at the 

 banquet in France, and of the toast (in French) of "King of England and Captain Lethbridge" ! ! ! 

 He had better nut communicate the news to King Edward, who might not like it! They gave him 

 both the medal and the diploma. I am very glad of it; it will brighten him up and he richly 

 deserved them. Loves to all. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



The Rectohy, Ockiiam, Surrey. September 17, 1905. 



My dear Bessy, Remember me to Fanny Wilmot*; you will be glad to have her by you. 

 1 am very sorry about your continued rheumatism, etc., especially as cold weather is comiDg on 

 gradually. Edward will I hope be able to give much help to Erasmus, who thoroughly appre- 

 ciates and trusts him. 



I have at last finished my small but troublesome book, and sent it yesterday to a friend to 

 criticise and revise, before it goes to the printer. Its title is Noteworthy Families (Modem 

 Science). I hope the rats at Claverdon do not mean drains out-of-order. There used to be a 

 professional rat-catcher to be seen in London who has long since disappeared. He dressed in 

 a sort of uniform, I think a greenish coat, with silver rats round the collar and a leather band 

 crossways, also with silver rats. He was very picturesque, and reputed a great scamp. 



All goes on well here. Frank Butler is with me for a couple of nights. We have many nice 

 friends within reach and I shall be very sorry to go, as we must, on Thursday week, so I shall 

 only get one more weekly letter from you here. 



Only think of Mrs Gilson and others going as a matter of course to Khartoum and even to 

 Gondokoro from the North, and the whole posse of the British Association going to the Zambezi 

 from the South, and those places being actually undiscovered until lately. Bruce first wrote 

 about Khartoum, but not much, and Livingstone of the Zambezi. It is much the same in 

 N. America, where Fenimore Cooper's scenes of prairie and wild Indians are now big towns. 

 It is a good story you send from Grant Duff about D'oyleys. The Sandwich Islands were of 

 course called after Lord Sandwich, who I presume was then at the Admiralty, but how did the 

 things we eat come to be called "Sandwiches"!? You know of course the old riddle: "How 

 can sailors, wrecked on a barren coast, support life?" Answer, "By eating the sand-which-is 

 there." The town Sandwich is an uncommonly interesting old place and so is the ancient 

 Richborough which is near it, with its big fortifications, and which was the main landing-place 

 when Kent was covered with thick forest through which were very few roads. 



Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



The Rectory, Ockham, Surrey. September 17, 1905. 



Dearest Milly, Poby...stett \ (I can't spell the name) vastly attracted Bishop Creighton 

 when he went over to the Czar's what-was-it? There is much about him in Creighton's "Life." 

 I wish that I could be sure whether it was he who was the ecclesiastic about whom Archbishop 

 Benson told me in connection with the Jew persecution. I dare say Torquemada was an amiable 

 man to some. Wasps, too, may be beloved in their own nests. So glad the Dartmoor pony is good 

 and fit. We are dependent here on a dear old pony, sixteen years old at least. No, he is older 

 than that — that is the age of the still dearer but less useful dog. My plaguy little book is finished ! 

 I sent it off yesterday, partly typed and partly in proof sheets, to my critical friend, Collins, to 

 score over with corrections as he is sure to do. I always learn much from him. An amusing 

 measure of memory about relations has cropped up. The paternal uncles (fa bro), and maternal 

 uncles (me bro), are recorded in exactly equal numbers, so they are equally well recollected, but 

 the different sorts of great-grandparents and great-uncles add up in impossibly different pro- 

 portions. There are f (fur sorts of each. One of the sorts fa fa fa and fa fa bro bears the writer's 



* A daughter, Emma Elizabeth, of Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin had married Edward 

 Woollett Wilmot of Chaddesden. 



t Said to be named from the fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), who had provisions 

 brought to him in this form at the gaining table, so that he might not be compelled to leave it 

 in search of food. 



% Galton is probably referring to C. P. Pobedonosteff. 



