
          about 1700 Genera, and upwards of 6500 species. It occupied 
 all my leisure time, during the last two summers, to
 arrange and label them. I am glad to perceive that
 there is a prospect of the results of our Exploring Expedition 
 being given to the world in a style that will
 be creditable to our Country.  I am also gratified to find
 that our excellent friend, Dr. Pickering, is employed in the
 work, and that his admirable qualifications for such an
 employment seem to be appreciated by those in power.
 I should be still better pleased, and should be almost
 ready to exclaim with [Simeon?], of old, if I could
 once see a National Museum & Botanic Garden founded 
 on the Smithsonian Bequest, at Washington, with
 Dr. P. and yourself comfortably & permanently established
 at the head of them.  Such a spectacle would, in my
 view, atone for much of the miserable tergiversation and
 chicanery (to use no stronger terms) by which the Politicians are
 dishonoring our young Republic.


 I think the plan you mention, of letting Sir W.J. Hooker 
 work up the Botanical materials, collected during the
 Exploring Expedition, would be decidedly the best for the
 interests of the Science, & would avoid much confusion
 in the nomenclature.  Those plants collected within
 the region embraced by your Flora, ought to be
 placed in your hands, of course; but I should be
 in favor of letting Sir Wm have all the rest.


 I do trust you & Dr. Gray will prosecute your
 Flora with all possible dispatch, while you have
 health, & means of doing so.  Any accident which should
 prevent the completion of the work, would be a sad
 calamity to our American Botanists: & as we cannot
 tell what is ahead, I think it very important
 that you should be active while it is yet day.
        