54 EARLY UNDERTAKINGS. [1835, 



Since my return I have been very busy, and on the 

 whole very comfortably situated. I have got back to 

 my class in the Sunday-school; both teachers and 

 scholars have mostly returned, for they all get scat- 

 tered during the warm months of the summer ; and we 

 are now going on very well. On my arrival here I 

 found a very fine package of dried plants collected by 

 my friend the Eev. John Diell, chaplain for American 

 seamen in the Sandwich Islands. I set about them 

 immediately, and it has taken me nearly all my time 

 this month to study them, but I have now finished 

 them. I shall send my notes about them to Professor 

 Hooker of Glasgow, Scotland, that he may, if he 

 pleases, publish them in the "Journal of Botany," of 

 which he is the editor. They are of more interest to 

 the people on that side of the water than to us. I 

 have again sat down to writing upon the work in 

 which I have been engaged all summer, and I do not 

 mean that anything else shall tempt me from it until 

 it is finished, although a nice little parcel of weeds 

 from China, sent by S. Wells Williams 1 (son of Wm. 

 Williams), lies at my elbow. As to my book, 2 I am 

 trying to make a bargain with two publishers ; the 

 prospects seem pretty fair, and I shall probably get 

 $300, which is the sum I insist on. I shall have a 

 definite answer in a few days. As to my course and 

 occupation for the winter I can say nothing, for I 

 have not hit upon any certain plan. One thing is 

 pretty certain after thinking over the matter quite 

 seriously, and consulting with Dr. Hadley, who is my 



1 S. Wells Williams, 1812-1884. Went as missionary to China in 

 1833. Wrote a Chinese dictionary and other works ; translated Gene- 

 sis and Matthew into Japanese also. Later was secretary of the Amer- 

 ican Legation to China ; returned to America in 1875. 



2 Elements of Botany. 



