The Wallace-Darwin Correspondence 



One of the means is the enclosed memorial, which has 

 been already signed by Sir J. Hooker and Sir J. Lubbock, 

 and to which I feel sure you will add your name, which I 

 expect has weight ^^ even in the City.'^ 



In want of anything better to do I have been grinding 

 away at a book on the Geography of Australia for Stan- 

 ford for the last six months. 



Hoping you are in good health, and with my best compli- 

 ments to Mrs. Darwin and the rest of your family, believe 

 me yours very faithfully, j^^^^^ ^ Wallace. 



Down, Beckenham, Kent. September 16, 1878. 



My dear Wallace, — I return the paper signed, and most 

 heartily wish that you may be successful, not only for 

 your own sake, but for that of Natural Science, as you 

 would then have more time for new researches. 



I keep moderately well, but always feel half-dead, yet 

 manage to work away on vegetable physiology, as I think 

 that I should die outright if I had nothing to do.— Believe 

 me yours very sincerely, ^^ Darwin. 



Waldron Edge, Duppas Hill, Croydon. September 23, 1878. 



Dear Darwin, — Many thanks for your signature and good 

 wishes. I have some hopes of success, but am rather doubt- 

 ful of the Committee of the Corporation who will have the 

 management, for they have just decided after a great struggle 

 in the Court of Common Council that it is to be a rotatory 

 Committee, every member of the Council (of whom there are 

 200) coming on it in succession if they please. They evidently 

 look upon it as a Committee which will have great opportuni- 

 ties of excursions, picnics, and dinners, at the expense of the 

 Corporation, while the improvement of the Forest will be 

 quite a secondary matter. 



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