Woodhall
17th Mar. /50
My dear Sir,
I only yesterday received your letter & package,
& on monday last I wrote to you by the 'Peri' in which I expressed my wonder at not
hearing from you in answer to my last, it was very unfortunate, & I now lose no time
to acknowledge yours, as you will be doubtless uneasy, & hope this will arrive in
time to prevent your writing to me again on that subject — and now my dear friend
many thanks for your kind present of the Prodomus
& glass, neither of which were to be obtained here, & will be of the greatest service
to me, & perhaps in the end to yourself also, — the remittance 4£ 14/- also came safe
to hand but I am very sorry if you should have found any inconvenience in that respect
— as I assure you I was not in particular want of it as I think I told you
You will excuse the shortness of this as I have just an opportunity of sending this
to Launceston without delay — so that you will have no occasion to answer this, as
I will immediately send a case of Phænogamous
specimens & Algae as soon as I can get them packed, on receipt of which please to
write soon an acknowledgement as it will remove any uneasiness from my mind
When you have time to send (use your own time) instead of seeds which you speak of,
I should be much pleased with any specimens however small of S. Australian plants,
as all that remains to me of my collecting in your colony are those few you obtained
from Stephens, — you have I suppose not seen Mr Bunce I am not acquainted much with
him, but from what little I know of him his knowledge of Botany is very superficial,
he was for some time in VDL. — but may be improved since — I observed your notes in
the paper you sent which were much to the purpose & felt flattered by the mention
you made of my name,
& I have no need to say that you may always count on my co-operation in our pleasing
pursuit, by contributions from this quarter —, where I am I may say alone as I can
count from no assistance from any one here so that the very small portion of time
I can obtain from my laborious occupation I am obliged I assure you to make the most
of — however I think I shall be able to make up somewhere near 800 sp & Gen. for you
this season with the forthcoming investment I think you will be pleased particularly
as respects Algae
I had last week an opportunity of purchasing Dons (G) work
which you were in treaty for at Adelaide when I left, I obtained 4 volumes new from
the press for 20/ a complete gift, they are all that have been published & extend
to
, or nearly the whole of Dichlamydeous plants so that with that & the prodomus I shall
get on pretty well — the 3 sp. of Potamogeton which I sent you are I think P. natans,
P. perfoliata,
and P. graminifol
— but I will write more with the box & so dear sir with every acknowledgement for
your kind present believe me to be (in great haste)
Yours most sincerely
Charles Stuart
I had almost forgot to say that on farther acquaintance with the Mr Archer
of whom I spoke it would not be worth
your
while to form much acquaintance as he is following the footsteps of Gunn he will
never become a botanist I was deceived in him — he thinks he is already at the summit
of the hill with about 18 months very confined practice — & disdains instruction —
let him go
