
          Washington Septr. [September] 15th 1844.

My dear Sir,

Your letter arrived yesterday evening and I read it
with almost as much pain as gratification. I felt
much gratified with the very flattering manner in which
you speak of my Report, and at the same time felt
regret and mortification at my inability to do any thing
just now in furtherance of the plan we had proposed
to ourselves when I sat out upon the recent campaign.

A fatality seemed to attend our plants in this expedition. 
The collection between Fort Hall (on Lewis' or
Snake river) and the Bay of San Francisco, in Upper California
was entirely lost by a fall of the mule on which it
was packed, from a precipice into a torrent.
The animal was killed and the bales could not be
recovered. From California to the forks of the
Kansas river, I had made a collection which would
have been full of interest to you. I have never seen
anything comparable to the profusion and variety
of plants in the country thro' which I passed.

I am satisfied that very many of the plants &
shrubs, as well as several trees were entirely new,
& I had with great labor ascertained from the Indians
        