
          Lower Creek, Burke Co[unty], N.C.
Sept. 6th, 1836

Rec'd Sept. 24th
Ans. Oct. 19th

My Dear Sir,

Your letter of July 25th I rec'd two days 
since & I was very glad to hear from you again & to learn
that my letters had all reached you & my [?] safe.
I returned two days since from a three weeks tour in
the mountains. I ascended several of our highest
summits & collected plants as [hard?] as my circumstances
would permit. It was not undertaken as 
an herbalizing expedition, though I prepared myself
for it as well as I could. I was called upon by
our Bishop to accompany him to a distant point
& on our way visited the most prominent mountains
in the United States. It was frequently a source of regret
that my journey was so rapid that I found myself
pushed forward by the company in localities 
that promised a rich harvest of plants. At any
rate I got about 70 or 80 species that are new 
to me I should judge. I have over a hundred
species in all. I began to collect most lustily, but
I found after my first effort that I could not
collect many duplicates & had to throw many
away to make room for other species. I was
unfortunately circumstanced also for preserving
them & they are most of them in a miserable
plight. I ought however to rejoic in the

[TEXT WRITTEN VERTICALLY]

I have never seen Gray's Elements of
Botany. I wish you to procure me a
copy. I wish you would suggest
the valuable Botanical works to  
me with the [?] that I may
make a selection.
I have not seen or heard
from [?] about writing to him &
will let you know something of him
The Crex fraseri according to 
Hookers was [?} Table Mtn &
on the Catawba River near Morganton
so that I had probably been within
12 or 15 miles of it all [?]. But the 
season has been so wetthat I could
not enable excursions until late when
Carexes were gone & I have not met with it.
        