36 EARLY UNDERTAKINGS. [1832, 
clude me from paying any further attention to nat- 
ural history. My friends advise me to spend a few 
years in a milder climate, our family being predis- 
posed to phthisis, although I am perfectly healthy 
and robust; and such a course would be very agree- 
able to me, as I could combine the study of natural 
history with the professional business which will be 
necessary for my support. I have thought of the 
Southern States, but I have for some time been in- 
clined to prefer Mexico, both on account of the salu- 
brity of its climate, and of its botanical and minera- 
logical riches, which so far as I know have never 
been very thoroughly explored. My object in trou- 
bling you with all this is merely to obtain some infor- 
mation with regard to the natural history of that 
country. Has the country been explored by any 
botanist since Humboldt in 1803? And is there still 
room enough in that branch to repay one for devoting 
a few years to its investigations ? 
I am young (twenty-one), without any engagements 
to confine me to this section of country, and prefer the 
study of botany to anything else. Although I have 
not arrived at any positive determination, I have com- 
menced the study of the Spanish language, and find it 
(with the aid of Latin and French) quite easy. I 
should be pleased to have your advice on this subject, 
as you have many sources of information which are 
beyond my reach. I should be highly gratified if you 
would state to me what you think of the prospects in 
Mexico for a person under my circumstances, and 
whether any other section of country or any other 
situation presents greater inducements. Under what- 
ever circumstances I may be placed, it will be grati- 
fying to me to continue a correspondence which has, 
