418 CORRESPONDENCE. [1855, 
The naturalists at Paris were en vacance, and mostly 
away. I saw only Brongniart, Spach, Gay, Dr. Mon- 
tagne, and Trécul (who sent, I believe, some pam- 
phlets for you; the package is not yet unpacked), 
and my good friend Vilmorin. Boissier was there 
from Geneva. 
In England I spent all the little time I could com- 
mand at dear Hooker’s at Kew; and Bentham, then 
in the country, came down to see me. I made a long 
and interesting call on Robert Brown, who is very old, 
but full of interest. I shall not again see this Nestor 
of botanists, as well as facile princeps, in this world. 
Hooker was much delighted when I told him you 
were coming next spring to see him at Kew. He in- 
sisted upon taking me over to see the Cactus house, 
and all through it, so that I might tell you what a 
mass of Cactez there are there ; and he will be much 
pleased to have you work among them. He spoke 
about his Cuscutez, but was not at all displeased at 
your retaining them; begged you would work them 
up if possible before returning them. You will be 
charmed with Sir William when you see him. 
As to the “ Manual,” my plan, as at present advised, 
is to cross the line of slavery a little, to take in Ken- 
tucky and Virginia; this makes the real division, in 
botanical geography, between North and South. It 
should be Northern ground, too, down to this line: for 
north of it slave labor is good for nothing ; and there 
would be no slaves there, except for the Southern 
market. I cannot take in Missouri, for I must make 
the Mississippi my boundary. But all your St. Louis 
plants cross into Illinois, do they not? Tell me how 
this is. I shall get at work at the new edition soon. 
I shall first press on the “ Lessons ” a little further. 
