
          Office Pacific R.Rd. [Railroad] Ex [Exploration] & Survey
 Washington, Nov. 26


 Dear Professor,


 I have been prevented from acknowledging
 the receipt of the manuscript of your report upon
 Capt. Pope's botanical collection (delivered by
 Adams & Co's [Company's] Express) by pressing duties. In regard
 to the drawings [added: of the same report], 8 in number, which you sent me
 early in the summer by Adams's Express, they 
 were returned to you immediately by the same
 conveyance for reasons which I have already
 explained. Although they have never been
 returned to me yet after the receipt of your
 last note I thought it possible they might 
 have been to Capt. Beckwith, but upon inquiry
 of him and search everywhere no trace of
 them is found in the Dept and no mention
 whatever [crossed out: of them] is made [added: of them] in any letter
 received here by myself or others from yourself
 or Dr. Gray since the time of my returning
 them to you, except that the engraver had
 one or more of them for specimen engraving.
        