I am now reading Herbert Spencer's "First Principles," which seems to me a truly great work, which goes to the root of everything.
I hope you will be well enough to come to Cambridge.
I remain, my dear Mr. Darwin, yours very faithfully,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
5 Westbourne Grove Terrace, W. January 14 [1863?].
My dear Mr. Darwin,—I am very sorry indeed to hear you are still in weak health. Have you ever tried mountain air? A residence at 2,000 or 3,000 ft. elevation is very invigorating.
I trust your family are now all in good health, and that you may be spared any anxiety on that score for some time. If you come to town I shall hope to have the pleasure of seeing you.
I am now in much better health, but find sudden changes of weather affect me very much, bringing on ague and fever fits. I am now working a little, but having fresh collections [pg 148]still arriving from correspondents in the East, it is principally the drudgery of cleaning, packing, and arrangement.
On the opposite page I give all the information I can about the Timor fossils, so that you can send it entire to Dr. Falconer.