
          Fredonia. N.Y. March 20th 1832


 Dear Sir,


 Sometime in November last I received, through, the hands of H.R. Lehoolcraft
 Esq. of the [Saus?] St Marie, notice that you had made some requests
 respectng the plants which were colleted during the expedition of the
 last summer-He also informed me that he had written you upon the
 same subject-
 In the expedition referred to I acted as naturalist, and
 have now the entire collection of plants, as well as parts of the other
 collections in my possession- You are undoubtedly well aware of the
 numerous difficulties which are presented in preserving and securing plants during a long and tedious cause voyage- With the utmost case, I was
 unable to preserve many of my duplicate specimens & others were entirely
 lost, or much injured- I send you a catalogue, as it was first
 taken, embracing many common plants which were preserved mostly for
 comparison with our Eastern & more southern plants. The unfortunate loss
 of my most valuable botanical books of reference, together with an uncommon
 purpose of business, has prevented any thing more than a cursory
 examination of the plants, since my return to this place- As the
 [Saus?] St. Marie by the aid of Dr. James, of the U.S. Army. I was enabled to
 solve some of my difficulties, the others I shall not attempt until [illegible]
 enabled to [?] suitable works to do so, & situated as we are here this
 is no small task-
 During the summer of 1824 & 5 I devoted much of my time to [crossed out: asking]
 collecting and making a catalogue of the plants of this County ([Charte?])
 together with those of the western pats of Pennsylvania & Ohio, and there
 were several which were stumbling blocks to me & I had hoped, [crossed out: illegible]
 upon my return (having been absent most of the time since that collection was made)
 to find them is good [?]; but an accident having befallen them, they were
 together with the catalogue completely destroyed, and as there is not (to my knowledge)
 a botanist in this country, is [way?] be long [?] our other collection will be made-
 I am attached to an expedition for the ensuing summer, in the
 double capacity of surgeon & naturalist, which bids fair to be of [for?]
 greater interest in a botanical point of view there that of the last summer.
 Should nothing prevent I shall leave here in two or three weeks for the purpose
 of joining the other or the party, who are now at Galena, Ill. [Illinois] The
 country to be explored is chiefly between the Mississippi, a little below the
 Fall of St. Anthony, and the Missouri, as high as Council Bluffs- I do
 not doubt but this will be like that of the past summer, a constant botanical
 feast; and I do not intend to leave any exertions untried which will
 aid in securing the collections which will be made- Should you

        