
          Steamboat Richmond Oct. 6th 1819

Dear friend,

I did not receive your double letter until I received 
the last one. And I saw neither until Sunday evening.
Your letters furnish me with very important materials
for correcting my little books on Botany and
Geology. Charlotte E. is about to print them all
together in a kind of book and to make [some?] an
index to them. She is going to Brimfield next
week and will, if possible, collect considerable Zircon.
She will return in about three weeks. Then she is
to arrange and put up, in neat order, all her and 
my plants.

I shall close my course at Hudson about the
23 of this month. I have about one hundred pupils
in Geology and Chemistry in Hudson. I feel strong
in Geology, but really I cannot possibly find
time to examine doubtful plants, particularly grapes,
solidagos and asters as I ought. Were I settled down
in one place, I would be very accurate, it is what
[was?] to please me much. I will tell you a secret
because it was given me as a [secret?]; though I think
it a vision. Major [Dalaby?] (the commanding officer
at the arsenal, and the superintendent of the Northern
States armory, Vice Pest. of the Troy Lyceum &c[etc.) says
that the commanding officer at West Point, Thayer
intends to recommend me to fill the crossed out: appointment]
{crossed out: ?] professorship lately created there, of Natural

        