René Lenormand Rec. Aug. 25, 1853 Ans. Paris July 8, 1857 



Vire, July 21, 18/3 



Dear Sir, 



It has been a long time since I received your letter, through the kind intermediation of Mr 

 Carrey, and the precious package of plants that you had the kindness of sending me. If I 

 have not thanked you earlier, for the profound pleasure that the possession of the 

 richness that it contained, it is because I was overcome for a long time with Influenza, 

 that reigned in our country for about six months. and which took an épidémie character. 

 The forced rest that this indisposition caused me, produced a clutter of extra work that I 

 have not been able to disentangle. But one of my first and most pleasing duties is to send 

 you my gratitude for your generosity in my behalf. Nearly ail the plants contained in your 

 package, are new to me.You can imagine the value I attach to them and how happy I am 

 to own them. 



Because you give me such little latitude to reciprocate, I will try to do my best to 

 recompense you for the pleasure you have given me. If I should not achieve this as well 

 as you would désire, it will not be that I did not place ail my efforts in it. I always regret 

 that the Cryptogams, and mainly the Algae, were not sufficient to seduce you. I would 

 have been more able to enrich your collection. 



I will wait until I send you a package, to have collected sufficient material, so that it will 

 be worth your while.. One of thèse days I am receiving a package from the St. 

 Petersburg Academy of Science, that will contain plants from Siberia. I have received 

 some from Algeria, and others from distant countries have been promised to me. I will 

 choose from ail I have and from ail that I will receive, those that I believe would be most 

 agréable to you. I am sending this letter together with another that I wrote Mr Curtis, to 

 thank him for the marvelous package that he had the kindness of giving me and I have 

 asked him to make it available to you. 



Please excuse me for not writing more, but my time is limited, therefor I have to be 

 concise. Please accept again, dear Sir, my thanks and the assurances of my most 

 devout and sincère affection. 



René Lenormand 



Sent to: Monsieur le Doctor Engelmann, naturalist. 

 St. Louis, Missouri 



translation. Manfred Thurmann 



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