
          Recd Augt 16th 1837
And Augt 22nd

Fort Brooke E.F. June 10th 1839

Dear Doctor

I should apologize for the small offering
that I am about to send you but I always dislike
making excuses. The few seeds that I send is from
the plant that [added: is indiginous] in Florida called the arrow root.
Perhaps they will vegetate with you and give you an
opportunity of seeing the plant itself. It grows abundently
near Cape Florida. The mouth of the Withlacoochee
and Suwannee rivers. Quite extensive establishments
were fitted up at the Cape [added: before the war] for the purpose of [crossed out: making]
manufacturing the root into starch (or rather flour) which
is said to be a very simple process merely grinding or grating 
the roots then washing [crossed out: and] precipitating and drying
The article when well prepared is said to be equally as good
as the Maranta arundinacea though this I believe is quite
a different plant. It is said that it grows best on sandy
light soil. I have seen some roots that would weigh several
pounds.

I send you also a sample of Seminole Flour which
was taken from the stores of the enemy at the Big
Cypress near Tohopekaliga Lake on the 28th Jan.
It is made I believe from a plant which is a species 
of briar very abundant in the south & in Florida found best
in the rick hammock land and if we should of its
use by the establishments that we have seen for preparing
it we should say it was a staple article with
the Seminole. It is called by them Conti Chatee of
Red Root whilst the arrow root which is also much
        