
          Smithsonian Institution
 Washington May 19' 1853


 My Dear Doctor


 I am much obliged to 
 you for the information about papers
 I shall probably soon trouble you 
 to get me some in NY [New York] to ship to California
 although I do not want it
 here.


 The exploring expeditions this
 year will do much for botany. I have
 endeavored to impress a botanical character
 very strongly upon them in my 
 outfit. I have already supplied nine
 sets of presses and portfolios, and have
 three more in hand. Dr. Bigelow has
 at last consented to go with Lt. [Lieutenant] Whipple.
 Kreisfeldt, one of  Fremont's botanical 
 collectors, goes out with Gunnison
 in the same capacity.


 We received some time ago
 in trust for the owner, the whole
 botanical collections of Dr. Berlandiere, 
 amounting to thousands of species
 & occupying about 60 to 70 cubic
 feet. There are also reams of detailed
 and unpublished manuscript descriptions
 made from the fresh plants

        