
          Philadelphia Sept. [September] 7th 1839


 Prof [Professor] J. [John] Torrey, N. Y. [New York]


 Ansd [Answered] Sept [September] 10th


 Dear Sir,


 I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
 dated 29th [?], which I received yesterday. I know too well how
 to appreciate your multifarious occupations, to impute your long 
 silence to intentional neglect. I shall receive with pleasure
 the specimens you are returning to me corrected, as well as
 the duplicates you are good enough as to lay aside for me.
 Their arrival will compensate me for the last six months privations,
 during which the [?] of my [?} has not permitted
 me to make a single herboriation, nor handle a single plant


 I have not been able, as I expected, to wind up my affair
 and return to Europe; I found more difficulties in the way than
 I thought likely to meet with and I begin to loose [lose] hope
 over to be able to execute my projects, as long as the financial
 affairs of this country remain in the present critical situation.
 My [added: intended] visit to the swamps of Virginia and Carolina has, of
 course, been foiled. Considering my departure as certain, I
 found an opportunity, last winter, to sell all my exotic
 herbarium, which had increased to such means, through
 my numerous exchanges with European Botanists, as to 
 become otherwise incumbrous to me. I do not regret it,
 for I find my collection of American plants quite sufficent
 to occupy all the moments of leasure [lesiure] that I can
 bestow upon our science. I have at last received a letter 
 from Dr Hale remembering me our former acquaintance
 and mutual proposal of exchanges. I have forgotten his name.
 I shall not be able to [prepare?] any thing for him, before
 the long nights of winter; but I will do it to the full
 extent of my means.


 I am much gratified at the success of Dr Gray's
 visit to Europe, and his daily expected return to this 
 country. Our subscribers are anxious for the third [crossed out: ileglible] [written above: no]

        