1672, Julyl^th 

 Gumbinnen, Germany 



TRANSLATION 



Gumbinnen, July 15, l8?2. 



Dear Doctor, 



I should have written you earlier if I had anything to report. The entire 

 trip from St. Louis to Gumbinnen was without any accidents. Thursday evening, 

 April 11th, we left St. Louis and arrived Saturday 10 o'clock after a trip of 

 approximately kl hours in New York. We stayed there until the following Thursday 

 afternoon and left the same day on board the steamer "Silesia". We reached 

 Hamburg after eleven days on April 31st, where the vegetation had already much 

 progressed, especially the lilac blossoms were about to open and the willows 

 were full of leaves. But the year 1872 seems to be an unusual one with regard 

 to the weather and I was told that there had not been such a spring for the 

 last 30 £bars. On the other hand, in New York, I found the weather still rather 

 harsh and the vegetation much more backward. According to your request, I turned 

 over to Prof. Braun the little packages on the 3rd of May and w/as very cordially 

 received by him and invited to a meeting of the Botanical Club at 9 in the evening 

 which meets in a krnwyrgyxxkaocn a brewery and where I would have had the opportunity 

 to meet many excellent young botanists, but since I had to leave very early next 

 morning, I could not accept. When I asked for George, Prof. Braun told me he was 

 unable zo find his address, since he mentioned only the j ifcj cmuU street name, but 

 not the house number. On May 5th, we arrived in our hometown and wer eeceived 

 with open arras. Our four boxes of books which left St. Louis by rail several days 

 prior to our departure, arrived here only on the 8th of June. They weighed 

 approximately 1 1/2 centner and the shipping costs amounted to 62 Th. for the whole 

 way from St. Louis to Gumbinnen. They were kept back in Konigsberg for eight days 

 since they had to be opened first to see whether they contain any taxable, however, 

 nothing of this kind was found. Up to now, I find the climate here very agreeable 

 and the temperature in the shade never went above 8l F. , even though the people 

 here complain about the excessive heat. The lowest temperature here up to now was 

 *M> P., but that only once. I am glad to tell you that our health is much improved 

 by our journey. When we left St. Louis, we both did not only have a bad cough, but 

 also our eyes hurt and furthermore, I was suffering from rheumatism. Already, after 

 our arrival in New York, our cough was a little better and when we arrived in 

 Gumbinnen, we were completely cured. Also, my eyesight is better, so that I use 

 now weaker glasses which is probably due to the damp atmosphere here. We are very 

 satisfied with the climate, but some customs and habits here we don't like very 

 much, even though some progress had been made, especially the situation of the working 

 classes here has been improved considerably. Since on my way here, I passed 



