422 CORRESPONDENCE. [1856, 



I wait for an opportunity. Lady Hooker will be 

 interested in it. Our united warm regards to her. 



Thanks to the Duke for anything to facilitate trans- 

 mission of printed matter. But it is still high ; for 

 example, your " Journal," which I get by post, costs 

 6d. each number, paid in London, and about Id. more 

 paid here. There is still room for improvement. I 

 dare not send you " Silliman's Journal " yet by post. 



June 30, 1856. 



Charles Wright, who was in the North Pacific 

 Expedition under Ringgold and Rogers, has left his 

 ship at California instead of making the voyage round 

 Cape Horn, and crossed over the Nicaragua route, in- 

 tending to botanize there some months. Finding him- 

 self there among our vile filibustering people, and all 

 in confusion, however, he was soon obliged to come on 

 home. He is awaiting the arrival of his ship, and 

 will not till this autumn be able to touch his Pacific 

 collections, of which the best and principal were made 

 in Hongkong, Bonin, and the Loo Choo Islands and 

 Japan. That they are not larger is not his fault. 



Wright has a perfect passion for collecting plants ; 

 and already begins to plan other explorations. To 

 satisfy his cravings for a while, I have proposed to 

 him to go to St. lago de Cuba, and explore that end 

 of the island. What do you think of it ? Has any 

 botanist collected there ? Would it be too like 

 Jamaica to offer much novelty? But to return. In 

 Nicaragua, Wright collected a goodly quantity of 

 seeds, one set of which he wishes me to send to you ; 

 a present to Kew Gardens, as I understand it. ... 



By the way, it was most lucky that I hurried up 

 and had sent on to you the copy of Brackenridge's 



