348 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
From Spencer F. Baird to R. Kennicott. 
WasuinctTon, March 30, 1861. 
My peEAR RoBERTUS:— 
Greatly to my delight the mail a day or two (ago) brought your 
letters of August 30th of Fort Simpson and of Sept. Ist on the River. 
I do not understand why there is not a line from at least Fort Good 
Hope; Perhaps it is only delayed. At any rate the mail has come a 
month earlier than last year. 
You cannot regret more than I do the failure of the supplies to 
reach you last year. We did all we could to expedite them; had them 
in Chicago before the time specified by Burbanks, and why they 
did not reach Fort Garry in time passes my comprehension. After 
all, however, it will not seriously affect the egging, which is the main 
point, and you must so instruct the gentlemen at the posts that when 
they get full supplies, they can use them in our behalf, even after 
you have left them. In the high North, skins do not take much 
poisoning to preserve, and they can easily be re-stuffed if very valu- 
able. Strychnine dissolved in water or alcohol will probably answer 
a good purpose. 
I forgot to say that all our boxes last year were in St. Paul before 
Woodworth sent off the last one which you received. The supplies 
sent by Gov. McTavish were in response, I presume, to my request 
to that effect. I have asked him to send a clerk’s allowance clear 
through, and 25 lbs. tea extra to you each year. 
Gov. McTavish sent to me for 1o dollars worth of birds’ eyes 
for a friend to use in mounting birds, at Fort Garry. These I shall 
send in a supplementary box and ask him to place to your credit. 
Prof. Henry, on behalf of the Smithsonian, has already sent $250 to 
acting Governor Hopkins, to be placed to your credit, and I have 
strong hopes of getting $250 more from Agassiz, which will also be 
sent. At any rate, you will not want so far. The outfit purchased 
for your use this year, including books for presents to various gentle- 
men, amounts to over $200.00 and has been paid for by special con- 
tribution. 
I may enclose with this letter, or send in a succeeding one, a 
detailed invoice of ten boxes already sent to St. Paul. 6 of these 
went by express, intended for points beyond the La Loche Portage, 
