
          Recd [Received] July 28th
 Ansd [Answered] Aug 21st


 Glasgow, 31 Lynedoch Street
 3 July 1849
 (posted 12 July)


 My dear, and highly esteemed friend


 Your letter reached me as I was on the point
 of going to [Kuiross?] on business immediately before opening my summer
 course, and from that time to the present. I have been in an
 incessant turmoil with lectures, and excursions, so that I have
 found it necessary to give up all thoughts of writing letters during
 my course of lectures, and even find it an almost hopeless task to
 read the letters I receive during that time.


 One thing however I have too long delayed replying to in your
 letter, the assurance of my unaltered esteem and regard towards you
 and Dr. Gray, and that all your envoies of plants (I may add, and of
 books) arrived in safety. For these allow me to return you my 
 best thanks. If I only had the time, there are many nice
 things from India I might send you; last [crossed out: yea] autumn I attempted
 selecting specimens for myself from the order between Compositae
 and Solaneae; and I did accomplish this; they are also glued down, but
 along with about 20,000, or 25,000 other glued down sheets, are kicking
 about unarranged, from mere want of time. Nor can I be said to be
 idle. I am at work for about 17 hours a day, and yet I find no
 time to write any thing for the public, so great is the difficulty!
 Keeping my herbarium in order, and going on with my other necessary
 duties as Professor. The more I see of the subject, the more I am

        