
          Cambridge, Saturday Evening. [January 26, 1846] 


 My Dear Friend


 Your favor of the 22nd I found this 
 evening on my return from my afternoon's 
 lecture. I am very tired and cannot write 
 much this evening. Four of my lectures are 
 off. You will be glad to know that they have 
 gone off very well, the three first admirably, 
 indeed I was surprised at myself at the fluency
 ease and "enlargement" which was given me. 
 The fourth, both last evening and this afternoon, 
 was poorer, interesting details but scrappy, and 
 less comfort in speaking. Splendid illustrations 
 up though. Nymphaea, Nuphar & the two Nelumbiums 
 coming out of the water twice the size of 
 life. Victoria same portion, leaf 10 feet 
 [crossed out: long] [added: wide (orbicular] floating on the water, like a huge scow, the 
 flowers 3 feet in diameter. Poppy & Argemone for that 
 order. Nutmeg with all the details, Monodora (Calabash
 Nutmeg) Papaw flowers foliage & print, Fruits of 3 Anonas [Ananas?],
 Custard Apples, with dissections, for [crossed out: that] [illegible].
 Linodendron & Magnolia grandiflora, for that tribe.
 The pictures were worth something, if the lecture 
 was not. I shall spur myself up hard 
 for those 4 to come, which are finely illustrated, in fact 

        