From John Scott   26 May [1863]¹

Sir.

I have just received your letter.² I am sorry that I troubled you at all about the Darjeeling situation, as strangely enough, though the Professor asked me to consult you upon it, he has not allowed me time to hear from you before requiring a decisive reply.³ The day following that on which I wrote you, he told me that D^r. Anderson expected to hear from him by this mail,⁴ and desired me to state whether or not I would enter into any engagement: as he had another person in view if I failed to do so. I stated, that I certainly wished he could have given me a little more time; it being otherwise however, I could only repeat as before—that I would not at present enter into an engagement. He has therefore offered it to another who has accepted it.⁵

I may have erred in losing this opportunity of going abroad—as Prof. Balfour seems to think—in respect to my future; nevertheless, it is now at least consolatory, and will I doubt not be also retrospectively, to know that I have thus been afforded an opportunity to work out a series of interesting & instructive experiments.⁶

I thank you most sincerely for the kind and active interest you have manifested: and I beg you to excuse me for the unnecessary trouble I have put you to in respect to the above situation; for I certainly did not think that an answer would have been required of me till I had heard from you.

I will be glad to hear from you when convenient, about any of the more interesting questions of mine of the 21^st.⁷ I have written an abstract of paper on Sterility of Orchid for Edinburgh Evening Courant, which always notices the meetings of the Bot. Soc. I will send you a copy.⁸

In the meantime | I remain | Yours respectfully & obliged | J. Scott.

Thanks for mentioning me to Dr Hooker, though as you remark there would have been more hopes of his recommending me had I been at Kew.⁹ J. S.