
          of thus encroaching on our neighbours territories I
am satisfied Texas will never have a good government 
till it is taken under your wing.

Give my best [?] to Dr. Gray & thank him 
for his letter. I will write to him soon. Mr. Webb 
will be quite pleased if his Cyperaceae & Cyperaceae
are not fastened in a book. Some prefer them 
loose. My dear friend I hope I may congratulate 
you on your being appointed to make 
the Botanico-geological Survey of your State. I 
wish well to Dr. Beck, but you are the man who 
ought to have this department. I long to hear
from again, if it were only to be informed on this 
point, & I should be very happy if some day one of 
my boys might have the pleasure of accompanying 
you in one of your more distant excursions. William 
left us the day before yesterday for London 
there to join a little party of naturalists & spend
the summer in the extreme n. [north] of Norway, reaching 
as far as N. [North] Cape. You may guess, with what delight 
the boy set out on his on his first distant 
excursion. They both worked well during the summer. 
William obtained the first prize in the materia
medica class & Joseph one of the first in n. [new?] philosophy,
& [added: in] anatomy (in the latter for an essay on the
nervous system). This latter is my only 
companion just now. Lady Hooker (for the King
paid me the distinguished compliment very lately 
to send me the insigna of the Royal Guelphic Hanoverian
Order, & did me the further honor of inviting 
me to receive the token of knighthood) & my father 
& the girls are all at Helensburgh. But all are 
well & did they know I was writing they would 
be many expressions of true regard sent to you 
& yours. Believe me ever with the sincerest 
regard & affection 
W.J. Hooker.
        