6 6 PETER COLLINSON [1735. 



London, Feb. 12, 1735. 



Dear Friend John Bartram : 



Though I am vastly hurried in business, and no leisure, yet the 

 many instances of thy regard for us obliges me to steal time to 

 say something farther to thy kind letters. 



I am glad the roots, in a box per Captain Wright, came to 

 hand, and were acceptable. I received the box of berries, fresh 

 and in good order. The Sassafras was a fine parcel, and the cherry- 

 stones, and several others, are what we had not before. I sent 

 them to our noble friend. 



The leaves of that Golden Rod are finely scented. Pray, have 

 we any of the seed ? Now, dear friend, I have done with thine of 

 the 9th of September. And now I shall only tell thee, I have 

 received thine of November 18th, December 1st, and the 9th, and 

 thine of the 10th, with the invoices. ***** 



The box of specimens, with the seeds, came very dry, safe, and 

 well. I think thee has discharged that affair very elegantly, and 

 gives us great pleasure ; and conveys to us stronger ideas of your 

 plants than can be described, and saves a great deal of writing. 

 I shall, at my first leisure, send thee their true botanical names, 

 and I shall send thee more paper ; but one quire a year will be 

 sufficient. 



The box of insects was very prettily and nicely put up, and 

 described : but pray chain up that unruly creature, the Smith, that 

 he may do us no more damage, next time. I shall have some fresh 

 requests to make, as to insects ; which, by enclosed instructions, 

 thee may learn thy little boys to catch, and I will reward them. 



Thee will hear at large from me, when I have opportunity to 

 discourse w T ith thy noble patron. 



All the things thee wrote for, I shall send ; the small things, by 

 Israel Pemberton, and the box of nails per Captain Savage, or 

 some other ship, which, I am not yet determined ; but I shall ac- 

 quaint thee with it. 



But I almost forgot thy noble present of plants, which came 

 very safe and well, to all appearance, and contains a many curious 

 plants. This year, pray rest a little from thy labours. I shall 

 only ask of thee one set of plants ; and that is, all the sorts of 

 Ladies' Slippers thee happens to meet with, if not far to fetch, for 

 I expect none from the Doctor [Witt]. He has, indeed, sent me 



