
          Camp near Monterey, Mexico
 June 29th 1848


 My dear Sir,


 About the first of February last,
 I received a kind letter from you acknowledging the receipt
 of some plants, through the hands of Major Easton. I 
 would have replied to it immediately, had I not hoped
 to have been able to send some more specimens with it.
 I  have been busy during the Spring, looking for such
 new plants as may not have been collected by Major
 Easton or myself. I have not been fortunate in finding
 many. The few that I have, I shall endeavour to forward
 by the first opportunity. They are not as numerous
 or as well preserved as I could wish, but I hope to
 make amends for these faults in the course of the 
 next 12 months. When I last wrote you, we were
 in some expectation of proceeding, on to San Luis Potosi,
 & I anticipated much pleasure in securing for you
 many new & interesting plants, by the wayside. Those prospects
 have been completely blotted out. But other fields
 still lie open before me & I expect to cull many of these
 pretty denizens for you. We have first received orders
 to proceed to California & Santa Fe. The command will be
 composed 5 companies of Dragoons & one battery of artillery.
 We start in about 14 days, passing through Parras, the
 great wine growing country, Chihuahua, Paso del Norte etc.
 Much pleasure is anticipated, notwithstanding the suddenness
        