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Ernst

Oct. 5/82

Dear Sir

In answer to your letter I send you enclosed five letters which your father sent to me. I think there were two more, but they are lost, at least I am now not able to find them.

You will see that the last was written a few days before his death.

When I received it, on April 24th, I had already prepared for my going to Europe in May, and over one of my most pleasant hope to go to your home and have the honor to shake hands with one who always will be dear to naturalists of all centuries. But I only saw the place where in Westminster Abbey

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he lays "among his peers"! As was however still my wish to visit at least you and to see the place where works of so [illeg] man an influence had been thought and written. So I told Sir Joseph Hooker in Kew but I was obliged to leave England, for business of a rather tiresome character detained so long in Paris, from which place I afterwards returned recently to South America. So was of my best hopes remained entirely unrealised.-

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In my last letter to your father, I expressed a different view on the formation of ledges on mountain slopes. I shall work it out as soon as I find leisure to do it, and will send the manuscripts to you. Perhaps I can even in other respects be useful to you or to any of your family, and I hope you will kindly command my services. May I then arrogantly hope to receive any of your publications for my own library?

I am, dear Sir, yours very faithfully

A Ernst

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