etc. and the damage would be irrepairable. However, the ice on the Illinois is not 

 very thick and up to 30 miles below Beardstown the river is now free; also it would 

 not freeze up again if the temperature would not climb up to 5° Reaumar. Today 

 we have 6 Reaumur and a strong northwestern wind so that it is almost unbearable 

 to go outside. 



Now to your wishes. Assuming that I was your debtor and for many other 

 reasons give you the number of plants you mentioned, what should I do with the 

 rest of my collection? I have always collected 60 and sometimes 50 specimens 

 and that of 100 species, if these are torn apart, the value of the entire 

 collection would be minimal. It is impossible to seil specimens here or anywhere 

 eise if one does not get what the other person also has himself , nobody is 

 interested to seil such specimens since it only causes trouble and there are not 

 enough friends who would do it. Riehl knows that as well as I do and has even 

 more experience.~I leave it up to your decision since I am convinced that you 

 do not want me to suffer such a loss; and I am convinced if you would reduce the 

 number of some species a little bit, it would satisfy both of us. I am sorry 

 I could not Start immediately to help you. My specimens are mostly of very large 

 plants which fill the entire sheet and I would have to pack Sheets and sheets upon 

 one another and I would use paper and bulk; the latter is almost impossible to 

 obtain here for money. Should I disturb these packages now, I would break apart my 

 most beautiful specimens by changing their position; I never had more beautiful 

 preserved plants. Everybody here is of the opinion that the river would be free 

 soon, even though the wind and weather is not very advantageous now; however, should 

 it not be free by New Year, Schneider in Beardstown is going to send a wagon to 

 St. Louis and I should entrust my plants with him, pack them well and go with him 

 myself. Perhaps you could wait for your plants until then. 



Of course, I don't know how important the letter from the Jardin des Plantes 

 might be, whether it was written by director of the Garden, whether it is for 

 private purposes or for the Institution, all these things have to be taken into 

 account before making any efforts. Furthermore, I don»t think it advisable to 

 make any promises before this gentleman has made some advance payments; I don't 

 trust the French, they make the prices themselves if they found a fool. However, 

 whatever you think of this off er, I am Willing to do.— Now something about the 

 sciences.-- My Ericala marginata is entirely different from all descriptions by 

 the local Germans in this area, Torrey and Gray did not compare very well, since 



