206 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



of my father, being altogether unlocked for, has affected me 

 the more deeply. I beg of you to accept of my best thanks 

 for the kind attentions which you paid to the family, and to 

 his remains, as well as for the feeling letter which I have re- 

 ceived from you on the subject. Believe me that I feel more 

 than I am able to express, the deep obligations which I owe 

 to you, as well as to my excellent friend Mr Murray, for the 

 very great interest which you have both taken in my welfare 

 ever since I had the good fortune to become acquainted with 

 you ; and your present attentions cannot fall to render these 

 obligations deeper than ever. Of your son William's death 

 I had accounts a few days before I reached this place, from 

 Roger Rigby, Esq., who I believe is a cousin of Lady Hooker. 

 I met with him at the Cocaes Mines, and from him I had 

 indeed a very kind reception. Poor William ! cut off so 

 early, and under such melancholy circumstances ! The duke 

 of Bedford's death has been a source of deep regret to me on 

 many accounts. He was indeed a noble patron of science, 

 and I feel certain, that " take him all in all, we ne'er shall 

 look upon his like again." I am much obliged to you for 

 your kindness in sending me the very interesting memoir 

 which you have drawn up on him. I have read it with great 

 interest, and from it have learned more than ever the extent 

 of the interest, which, through you, he took in ray wander- 

 ings, and the extent of his liberality towards me. It would 

 indeed be selfish in me to wish that he had lived longer on 

 my account : what I regret more, and what every lover of 

 our favourite science must deeply regret, is, that he did not 

 live to finish, or at least make a beginning, of the great na- 

 tional scheme which he had so deeply at heart, and with 

 which you were to have been so intimately connected. 



Since I last wrote you I have met with a severe loss. The 

 very day on which I sent away my last letter to you, which 

 was dated from Tijuco, three of my horses died, and shortly 

 afterwards five more. This was no doubt occasioned by the 

 cold rainy weather which set in for about a week after our 

 arrival, they having been always accustomed to the great heat 



