* 
388 SECOND JOURNEY IN EUROPE.  [1851, 
been making a visit at Kew), and other scientific 
friends, were there. Among other discussions in one 
of the sections was one on the possibility of a railroad 
to the Pacific, a paper by Asa Whitney, “ which had 
been brought before the Geographical Society in 
London, and reported on favorably.” 
From Ipswich he made a most interesting visit to 
Lady Hooker’s father, Dawson Turner, seeing his 
very valuable collections, autographs, pictures, etc., 
and returning to Kew to work until breaking up to 
go back to America. A short trip was made in Ire- 
land, and Dr. Gray went to Pontrilas to say good- 
by to Mr. and Mrs. Bentham, immediately before the 
voyage. Dr. and Mrs. Gray were again at home, 
September 4. 
After Dr. Gray’s return from Europe, his busy life 
went on, filled with college work and the care of the 
Garden as accompaniments to a study of the new col- 
lections constantly coming in, the work on the Explor- 
ing Expedition, the keeping his various botanical 
text-books in their new editions up with the advan- 
cing science, and his always large correspondence. 
His letters were chiefly on the questions upon which 
he was working, but with many touches on events 
of interest of the day, and little playful turns. He 
says in a letter to Dr. Engelmann, “1 well know 
- I have too many irons in the fire.” 
Unfortunately, Mr. Darwin destroyed all the letters 
he received before 1862, except the one published in 
his “ Life and Letters,” which is inserted later, as 
well as one to Sir Joseph Hooker taken from the 
same volume. The rest of those to Sir Joseph are 
mostly bound up in the botanical correspondence at 
ew. 
ae SR va es ee 
