This morning an English man-of-war ran in for refuge, but had to run out again before the return salutes had been fired, as her anchors could not hold, and an odd accident happened. At the 18-minute gun from the fort, one of the gunners somehow got in front of the cannon and was blown to atoms. I suppose they were all confused with the wind and the spray.
The waterproof coat you sent me is in great requisition. Moreover it is a source of great amusement to the Inner Brotherhood, as Miss Taylor has discovered in it a close resemblance to a hassock—no, I mean a cassock. She wants me to get a round hat wherewith to 'cap' it when I return to Oxford. All the same, it is the best thing in the way of a waterproof that I have met as yet.
March 19.
I have got Weismann's new book, 'The Germ-Plasm.' It is a much more finished performance than the 'Essays.' In fact, he has evidently been consulting botanists, reading up English literature on the subject, so he has anticipated nearly all the points of my long criticisms. This is a nuisance.
Per contra, since coming here I have heard of no less than three additional cases of cats which have lost their tails afterwards having tailless kittens. I wish to goodness I had been more energetic in getting on with my experiments about this, so I have written to John to get me twelve kittens to meet me on my return. It would be a grand thing to knock down W.'s whole edifice with a cat's tail.
The monotony of life here is becoming intolerable. There is nothing to write about.
You will have seen that Taine is dead. I was just about to write to him, to ask if he would be the Romanes lecturer.
March 21.
Here is an odd thing. I find that Weismann in his new book has discussed all the points raised by Spencer. So Spencer and I have been hammering away at things which W. has already written upon. Luckily, he says about what I anticipated he would say (see my article), but how absurd a fiasco! I have written a postscript to go by the mail, hoping it may arrive in time to be bound up as a separate slip before the issue of April number, explaining that absence from England prevented me from getting W.'s new book until now. But S. ought to have known.