
          Glasgow, July 8, 1825.

My dear & excellent friend

Just as I was about to set off on my tour 
in the continent early in the spring I had the pleasure 
to recieve [receive] your packet & letters & I just [added: had] time 
to thank you for them previously to starting.

The extent of my tour, which was undertaken 
solely for the purpose of seeing botanists & improving
myself in botany, was much curtailed by 
the serious illness with which I was attacked
at Paris, & which confined me to my bed during 
the greater [brack?] of the time that I was there. I 
came home in a very indifferent state of health & 
was again confined to my bed in England. I reached 
Glasgow just in time to commence my lectures 
about the middle of May, & have ever since that, 
as you may suppose, been overwhelmed with my 
occupations, especially with the number of new plants 
I find accumulated upon me, from almost all parts 
of the world. I cannot, till my lectures shall 
be concluded, find time to select for any one; but
then you shall be one of the first on my list & 
I will select for you from my Arctic & other 
collections as soon as possible. My account of 
        