
          Oriskany January 2nd 1840

Dear Sir!

Last saturday I shipped a small box of
plants containing principly specimens of the Salix Solidago
amd Aster genera with a few others. I should have sent
you more but it was with some difficulty that I could prevail
on the Agent to take even so small a box. The Manufacturing
Co. of this place sent a team with 6 boxes of cloth with the
intention of taking them as far as Hudson or to any other
point of the North River where Steam Boats should still
be running there to ship for New York, but the cold weather
will probably very much impede the Steam Boat Navigation
so that the team will go all the way to N.Y. and will 
probably arrive some time next week. I told the teamster
to carry the box to your house in case he should be obliged
to go through.

In the box you will find Dr Gray's letter which
his father sent to me (The one dated at Bale & the only one I have seen)
and one from me with some remarks on the localities of the
plants sent.

I hope you will excuse my anxiety to procure
information relative to the St. Fee expedition. If I am to go it is
important for me to be early apprised of it in order to make 
the necessary arrangement both with regard to the outfit and
the arrangement of my domestic affairs.

There is a young
man in this town. He is a collector of minerals and other curiosities
for the Utica Museum and other individuals, a perfect enthusiast and
one who has means to carry him through, but I know not whether
he would be an advantage or detriment to any pursuit. What
would you think of it?

Please write to me about
this matter soon. I am extremely anxious to know what
        