
          interest in mine. I hope as Dr. Gray will of course have duplicates of
Cerda's [Juan de Dios Vicente de la Cerda?] plates & his paper that he will forward me one or two.

What scandalous delay in the appointments for the S.S. Expedition!
My friend Mr. Kneals says that for a passage in Mr. Sec. [Mahlon] Dickerson report
he conclues the secretary intends to wait for the "completion of [?]
births" in the frigate & then fit the members of the scientific corps "in"
measuring their intellectual by their physical capacities. Alas! Poor Yorick!

If you will write & direct to me before the 15th Dec. the little
article of bot. news etc. for the Hort. Mag. you will greatly oblige both
myself & my friend the very excellect editor of that periodical
who certainly desires aid in his endeavors to [??] of a Hort. 
etc. in this country.

I receive every two or three weeks from the bookseller in town a
package for the public library here of which I am one of the directors.
The arrangements for the winter transportation are not yet made but
when they are I will notify you of the place when my little pamphlet
etc. which you may be so kind as to send me may be deposited & [added: from] whence
they will reach me in safety.

A [sulphate?] of lead mine has been discovered the past season about 25
miles from this place on the Shawangunk range owned by gentlemen here
which promises to be very profitable. The one yields about 80 per cent
& 50 tons have already been mined. I will send you a good specimen 
for the Lyceum cabinet if you wish. I beg you to write me
when you have leisure.

Very sincerely 
A.J. Downing
        