
          Ansd. [Answered] Sept. 11th 1840!

Louisville, Ky. July 21st 1839.

My dear Sir,

After a very long silence, I was favoured, 
a few weeks past, with your [crossed out: favour] [added: letter] of the 3d ult. [ultimo] and 
more recently that of the 12th inst. [instant] has come to hand. I thank 
you for your remarks on the plants which I had the pleasure 
of putting up for you last fall; and also for your 
kindness in forwarding to me through Mr. Dobson, the parcels 
from Dr. Chapman and Dr. Steelz of Hamburgh [Hamburg], both of which 
reached me in safety. That however from Dr. Leavensworth, 
to which you allude, has not been recd.

I am much gratified to hear of Dr. Gray's very 
successful and pleasant labours in Europe, and I trust that he 
will in due time return safely to his home, richly ladened 
with the fruits of his discoveries. It seems somewhat strange, 
however, that whilst European naturalists visit our continent 
for the purpose of investigating its productions, braving the dangers 
and discomforts of toilsome journeys through ununtrodden forests and 
pathless prairies in search of something new, our naturalists should 
find them in their own collections, in the very heart of science, 
and centre of civilization! I fear, however, that I but poorly 
merit the high honor which Dr. Gray proposes for me, and if 
it is only to be attained by the pilgrimage to the Carolina Mountains, 
I must eve forego it altogether even 'tho it be my last and only 
chance of an apotheosis. The circumstances of my present situation  
utterly preclude the possibility of my making that tour at present, 
and unless the plant in question may chance to have been 
found 
        