
          New Braunfels Jany 8th 1851

My Dear Dr.

After an absence of two weeks [carat: spent] on the Blanco
when I passed the Christmas holidays with my old friends I was
gratified on my arrival again in this place to find your welcome
letter of Decr 1st. I did not set down immediately to answer
it because I wished to await the coming of another mail
which might bring me some letters containing further intelligence
& by this time I would hear from a friend in Austin who
wishes me to procure for him through you some books or pamphlets.

I suppose I have received all your letters & you have probably
fefore this my acknowledgement of the receipt of the draft of $100.
kindly advanced me by Dr. [Charles Wilkins?] Short. I presume I also told you that
I had received another draft from Washington - so that I have
now money for my anticipated excursion. I shall not be 
embarrassed for some time to come on that account.

I wrote to you a while back desiring you to obtain
from Mr. [William Starling] Sullivant Mr. [Moses Ashley] Curtis's [?] their opinion whether the collection
of Crypts made last winter possessed much interest. In your
letter you make some remarks on the subject rather an expression
of your own opinion than information from them. I am disposed
to believe you have not had time to obtain the desired information.

You are aware that most of my time is engrossed in teaching.
Prof . [Joseph] Henry is soliciting me to do all I can for the Smithsonian
Institution in all department of Nat. Hist. So you see I ought to
devote most of my leisure time to such subjects as may prove
more generally interesting & if the Crypts do not offer many novelties
I had better collect bigs & snakes.
        