ALS, four pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, Cadoxton Lodge letterhead, August 3, 1893. Letter to a gentleman, in part: “I regret that your kindly letter of the 14th inst should have remained so long unanswered but a busy man’s greatest trouble is the duty imposed on him by letters…As to Prof. Earnice’s experiments with monkeys. I fear you must take the newspaper reports of them cum-grano-salis. The clipping you sent to me leaves the suspicion that it is one of these elaborate & solemn jokes which Americans love to make upon all subjects. Though the Professor’s experiment may result in nothing yet, the industry & zeal he displayed in attempting to ascertain whether anything of value can be found by him deserve communication. However if the Professor communicates any discovery to a serious paper which is above poking fun at people, you may later take it for granted that he wishes to be believed. There would be nothing remarkable, nevertheless in the fact that certain chimpanzee or gorilla vocal emissions resemble Maori or even English words, let alone Latin or Greek.” In very good condition, with scattered toning, splitting along the central horizontal fold, and mounting remnants to the first page. Due to his well-documented explorations into central Africa, Stanley was besieged by letters from all over the world after his final adventures, asking for his opinions on various topics related to exploration, geography, and in the case of this response, talking animals. Written the year after R.L. Garner’s noted publication of The Speech of Monkeys, this is an exceedingly scarce letter with intriguing content. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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