
          him in undertaking it. I hope it will not ruin him. If however he should get well
 through it, you may inform the Society that I offer to pay for printing a similar Cat. [Catalogue]
 of all the Greek & Latin M.S.S. contained in their Library. I do not like to be [outdone?]
 in a handsome thing. [Damn the Ex??? !]


 Three of the most eminent members are to write [?], you say to make a List
 of all the Animals of N.Y. Will they include the lower orders? If they do, & do it well
 I shall give them credit. As for the birds and quadrupeds I could send them a Cat. on the back
 of this letter, at least such a one as is usually made by [Committees?].


 As for puffing you, I am willing to do it as far as the utmost limits of veracity
 will allow, and might perhaps be induced to lie a little if it would do you any good.
 Send [on?] to Paris a large stock of all your Catalogues Memoirs or anything else you
 may provide but send in time, I will make them circulate. While I think
 of it I will ask you to send me at the same time a few copies, 3 or 4, of the
 translations from the New Testament into the Mohawk & Delaware language
 published in N.Y. in 1818 by D. [David] Fanshaw.


 24th. You see it has taken me five days to get this far, although
 I have [watched?] every moment I had to spare, so you may judge what kind
 of life I lead. Several important events have taken place within that
 short period, the first of which as relates to myself is having my head turned by
 a Signorina Romana, a Roman young lady, or goddess or whatever
 you please that's divine, to whom I had the honor to be Cavalier [Seirata?]
 for two or three hours one evening. Luckily she left Leghorn the next
 day and I have has time to collect my senses a little so as to be able
 I hope to write rationally. This will account for any extravagancies or
 incoherencies you may observe in these pages.


 I am now in a confounded hurry and must [dispatch?]. I have to
 trouble you with some commissions which I trust you will not neglect.
 Will you send me if you receive this in time, by the packet which
 sails for Havre on the 10th Jany. [January] all my duplicates and every thing
 else you may have to spare in the way of books on specimens in 
 Nat. Hist. [Natural History] I will write to my mother to pay you twenty dollars which
 I request you to lay out for me in books &c. and to defray any other
 expenses you may incur on my account. I wish them to be at Havre by
 the first April for which they should be shipt [i.e. shipped] by the first February if
 possible, at any rate send them as soon as you conveniently can.


 The package must be consigned to the care of Hottinguer & Co. Havre
        