
          Dr John Torrey             Philadelphia 11th febry [February] 1833
New York

My good friend.  Yours of the 6th was only rec'd [received]
Saturday the 9th, and has taken me by surprise.  I did not expect
you could possibly depart before the middle of March & you go on the
middle of febry [February] - bef [before] the end of Lecture course.  In Decr [December] Dr. Greene of Boston
wrote me that he was willing to pay me the Dft [Draft] on Dr. Arnold as soon
as he ordered him so, having previously only made enquiries if he would.
This reply & yours put me out of concert of Botany for a while, as I
found the trouble of labelling very great.  I could hardly do 50 plants
a day, having to study many over again & writemy remarks,  notes, etc.

At the same time I rec'd [received] my gold medal from Paris sent
me by the Soc. [Society] of Geography, with a Diploma.  The gentl. [gentleman] who brought it
said many flattering things of my labours & that theyhad astonished
even the most learned men of Paris, whence this award of an estraord'y [extraordinary]
gold medal.  This turned my attention from Botany to my other
favorite pursuit of combined ethnology, Philology and History.
I have since written a Suplt  [supplement] or 3d [third]memoir on the subject, for the Soc. [Society] of
Geography, but it [added:is] not yet quite copied thru' [through], else I would send it by
you.  And I have also written out the first rough outline of the first
vol. [volume] of my History of the American Nations, beginning at the most
difficult & remote part Austral America which must have been [crossed out:the]
[crossed out:first] settled by the first Colonists of America.  This Vol. [volume] contains this the
hist. [history] of the Chilians, Patagons, Puelches, Mbayas, Abipour. Lules, Taos, etc.
and other Nat. [natives] of Magellania, Chili & Chaco, etc which I trace step by step
by their languages thru' [through] S. [South] America to N. [North] Africa & S. [southern] Europe and give
their chronol. [chronologic] hist. [history] from earliest time to our days.  This labor is so fascinating
& interesting to me at present that I can hardly leave it.  I could
postpone it for a few days, but I could not finish this week all I want 
to send by you, & if any delay should occur in the transportation you may
be gone before receiving it.  Therefore I am come to the conclusion to send
nothing now, but make up a box for you in March & April, which I will
send you direct to Europe, at Havre care of Mess. [messieur] Eyrie's brothers, to whom
I have other things to send.  As you will spend your first months in England
this will reach you in May or June & in good time when you go to France.
This box shall contain many things, Plants, shells, Journals, Books etc
perhaps manuscripts, on which I will write you at length when I send
them.  They will be for presents or Exchanges or comparisons.  I will write
you in London and also in Paris, directing care of your friends if you give
me their address or poste restante a Paris.  I think this arrangement will be
the most convenient you will have less trouble with them in France than in
England, & you make take these such as you require afterwards.
        