
          New Braunfels Comal Co. Dec. 10th /50

My Dear Dr.

Your favor under date of Nov.2nd [carat: pstmarked Nov. 12] has just
reached me & at the same time one from Washington containing a
draft for $379. So you see I am in funds at present.

I have (I believe) written to you since I came to this place
but I hardly know what I wrote. So for fear you may not be
accurately informed of all the circumstances which defeated
by plans the past summer & fall I will even at the risk of repetition go somewhat into detail.

I the first place the spring the most valuable part of the
year was lost for want of paper. Dr. [Asa] Gray had stranely (as 
I think) sent the paper to Galveston wihout consignment
when it was detained till I wrote twice for it and at
last went to Port Lavaca for it. By this time the spring
was entirely gone and the summer commenced. And while
the paper was on hanf no knowing how soon I might be
called away I saved but few plants & send my paper by an
early opportunity to San Antonio [carat: that I might] [crossed out: to] be in readiness to
join Mr [John Russell] Bartlett's party on their arrival. Thus most of
the summer was spent without means of saving plants.

Besides all this I had no means of studying for I was without
books. The year before I had a copy of the Flora but when I
left El Paso I gave away my copy that I might lighten
my baggage as much as possible. I then intended to go north
where I thought I could get another copy. Abandoning this 
intention I wrote to Dr. Gray for a copy. After a long time
        