^T. 42.] TO GEORGE ENGELMANN. 399 



My wife and I well remember what a charming 

 place Vallon is, and retain pleasant memories of our 

 trip to the Saleve under the charge of Madame De 

 Candolle, despite the bad weather which spoiled the 

 view. We should delight to revisit Switzerland. 

 Having no children, it is not impossible that we may 

 do so ; but the time, I fear, is far in the future. . . . 



I have written a much longer letter than I had 

 intended when I began. 



Believe me to remain, yours very faithfully, 



ASA GRAY. 



TO GEORGE ENGELMANN. 



CAMBRIDGE, July 14, 1853. 



MY DEAR ENGELMANN, This cover has been ad- 

 dressed to you for a long while, but I have delayed to 

 fill and close it, not so much because you had not 

 written, for I knew you must be very busy now, but 

 because the convenient time has not exactly come. 

 For I have been very busy. College work done up 

 only last week ; printing of " Exploring Expedition 

 Botany," in which I have read proofs up to 220 pages, 

 and gave to-night finished manuscript (except a few 

 crooked points to settle in a family or two) up to the 

 end of Rosaceae (which will make about 450 pages. 

 It fills up fast with the open pages adopted in these 

 reports). I shall carry on the volume to 550 or 650 

 pages, and the plates folio, already 56, shall carry up 

 to 100, if I can. There is next some tough work in 

 Myrtaceae and Melastomaceae ; but as to the latter Nau- 

 din has much cleared the way. Those done, and I 

 think I may venture to work part of the time on the 

 Lindheimer, Fendler, and Wright Monopetala3. 



Agassiz returned most delighted with his visit to 

 you, and we talked much of you. . . . 



